Gone
by Rae Rihanna
Summary: AU Post DoR. Left to the devices of Bolivar Trask, Rogue feels betrayed and no longer part of the X-men. So when the Acolytes rescue her from Area 51, she seizes the opportunity to escape the Institute. But how will this change the course of fate? Romy
1. Escape from Hell

**A/N: This takes place directly after Day of Reckoning. Up until then, nothing's changed except that Fred was not taken in the Sentinel attack. Anything else goes so enjoy!**

**Rated for language and perhaps some sexual content.**

She didn't know how long she'd been there, naked and exposed, huddled in the corner of a five by five cell. It could have been a few hours or a few days. But it felt like a millennia.

The cold had numbed her, the screaming had deafened her, and the only thing she felt was pain. Unbelievable, unspeakable pain. Physical pain at the experiments those bastard scientists had put her through. And worse kinds of pain. The pain of being helpless, the pain of racking up obnoxious psyches (human and mutant, friend and foe) in her head, and the pain of betrayal.

She shivered. That one hurt the most.

They left her._ They left her!_ Kitty, Kurt, Storm, Jean, the Professor… they all just left her to the devices of Trask and his men. It would have been so easy to save her, to save them all. Kitty could have phased them out, Kurt could have teleported them all to safety, but they just left. And the bitterness and depression of that thought brought more tears to her eyes.

With her knees pulled to her chest and her arms covering what they could, Rogue sobbed, letting out a howl of anguish that nearly matched the one Wolverine was emitting. Nearly.

She didn't dare look up. The experiments on Logan were always the most painful because he could bounce back from it. And those motherfuckers knew it. They'd torn off his skin to study the adamantium beneath, they'd tortured him with three of the five main torture groups (blunt, cold, and sharp) to see how quickly he could heal, and now they were moving on to hot. Hot pokers, hot coals, blowtorches, and electrical wires in water.

Rogue didn't need to look up to see it. She could hear the sizzling and smell the putrid stench of melting flesh. And she prayed, to whatever god that was listening, that it would all end. That Armageddon would come and they could all just die because nothing could be worse than this. Nothing.

But then the screaming stopped and with it so did Rogue's heart. It was strange to hear the quiet. Strange and terrifying because it meant one thing. They were done with Logan and were moving on to the next victim (or subject, as the men in white coats were prone to call them).

They dumped Logan's body in the cell next to hers and the loud thump that sounded nearly made her jump. But not so much as when they began to enter the code to open her cell.

She whimpered uncontrollably and pushed herself as far back in the corner as she could get. She didn't bother trying to plan an escape. She'd done that once before and the punishment she received was more than enough to deter her from attempting it again. Besides, they knew of her mutation and wore biohazard suites as a precaution. The curse she'd for once welcome could do nothing for her now.

So instead she waited for the inevitable. Her eyes were wide with fear and hate, but, despite her tears, she clenched her jaw in determination. She wouldn't scream. They could cut her down, they could make her cry, but she'd never scream. She wouldn't say a word. Not a damn thing. It was the only victory she could take.

But instead of the terrifying sound of the bulletproof glass doors opening, she heard a loud BOOM as an explosion knocked all of those sons of bitches off their feet. And then the most unlikely of saviors rushed into sight.

It wasn't the X-Men or the Brotherhood. No, it was the Acolytes. The Acolytes! Rogue couldn't help it. Even as she sobbed in relief at the prospect of being saved, a bitter laugh escaped her lips at the irony. The moment didn't last long, however, because before she knew it, the fire-crazed one was torching the place and the giant tin can was knocking down the security force that had immediately lept into action. And as if that weren't enough, Magneto had turned the soldiers' own weapons against them.

She vaguely wondered where the card thrower was, but that question was quickly answered as her door opened and in walked the sexiest man she'd ever seen. Even in these dire conditions she couldn't deny that. She also couldn't keep herself from feeling hideous in comparison. It was such a vain, stereotypically teenager thing to do, but Rogue felt undeniably self-conscious and ashamed. Not only was she lying in a cell, naked, but the recent bruises and wounds that adorned her body no doubt made her look like a black and blue nightmare. Tears, once again, sprang to her eyes and she silently cursed herself for being so weak. He probably thought her a foolish little girl who didn't even have enough sense to run through the open door to freedom.

But that wasn't it. That wasn't it at all. She_ couldn't _move, damnit. No matter how much she wanted to. Because she hadn't eaten in days, she'd lost more than a couple pints of blood, and the experiments they ran on her had left her little more than an invalid. It was humiliating.

So lost in her own thoughts was Rogue that she didn't notice the Cajun charmer walk up to her until he gently draped his trench coat around her bare body. She jerked her eyes upwards to meet his own and was surprised by the compassion and sorrow she saw in those onyx and red orbs.

"_Mon Dieu, cherie, qu'ont-ils vous fait_?"

"Everything," came her choked response.

Without another word, Gambit adjusted the trench coat on her and carefully swept her up in his arms.

Rogue tensed at first and made to protest, but then realized that not only was he fully clothed, but if he had put her down she probably would have collapsed. So, for once, the loner Goth ignored her instincts and instead took shelter in his more than capable arms.

When they stepped out of the cell, Rogue was comforted by the fact that the scientists who'd held her captive, who'd performed monstrous atrocities against her and those like her, were sprawled out on the ground, either dead or seriously injured. She knew she should have cared, shouldn't have wanted to see them dead. She could hear the Professor's voice in her head, telling her that it was never okay to wish such things upon our fellow man. But Rogue didn't give a damn.

They'd hurt Evan, hurt Beast, hurt Logan. Hurt her. And she wanted them to suffer. It was a burning rage the likes of which she'd never felt before. She could feel her breathing intensify, her chest heave up and down rapidly, her muscles tense.

And then she saw one of them move. When he lifted his head, Rogue instantly recognized him as the man who'd been personally in charge of removing her clothes. Fear swept through her quicker than she thought possible and all of a sudden the rage was replaced with cowering in the card thrower's arms.

Her savior must have noticed because he abruptly stopped walking and looked down at her, concern etched across his face.

"_Le quel est, cherie_?"

"That soldier," she rasped, "h-he…"

She couldn't finish. Couldn't say how he'd coped a feel while she was chained to a wall. How he'd not quite violated her with those latex covered hands, but had done enough that it had broken her in ways other forms of torture never could.

But she didn't have to. The card thrower must have understood because his eyes darkened and his whole body tensed, subconsciously pulling her closer. Without another word, he looked down at the fallen soldier who was struggling to stand and failing miserably and delivered a swift kick to his head.

Rogue heard a sharp snap as it collided with the metal wall and wondered if the blow had killed him or not. A part of her hoped it had.

"Gambit!" came the booming voice of the Master of Magnetism. "We must do it now!"

Nodding, her savior shifted her slightly in his arms, took out a few small cards, and charged them. Rogue watched with trepidation as he threw them into the room and then winced as she waited for the explosion.

When it didn't come, she looked up at him in confusion. The card thrower (Gambit, she told herself) smiled down at her as he once again shifted her so that she rested more comfortably against him.

"Gotta give us 'nough time t' escape, _hein_?"

She blinked up at him, surprised at his sudden turn from French to English, but didn't get a chance to respond as he began running past the fallen soldiers and fiery remains of the lab.

"Hurry up, _mes amis_. Trust Gambit, y' ain't gonna wanna be 'round when dis place goes boom."

Relief swelled in Rogue's chest when she caught a good look at the other Acolytes he had been talking to. Though Sabertooth was nowhere in sight (something Rogue was immensely glad for), she saw that the metal man was carefully carrying Beast and Evan out with him and Magneto had Logan's slowly healing form suspended a few feet in front of him.

Together, with the pyromaniac lighting the way, the eight made their way out of the base just as the whole thing exploded.

Releasing a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding, Rogue finally allowed herself to fully relax in Gambit's arms. And as the familiar metal orbs approached her, she tried to fight the sudden urge to sleep and the drooping feeling of her heavy eyelids.

"Let it go, c_herie_, no doubt y' ain't slept since y' got here a few days back. Gambit won't let nothin' happen t' de Rogue. Y' got his word on dat."

Despite her better judgment, despite all of the suspicion she felt, Rogue couldn't deny that somewhere inside, she knew he'd keep his promise. So as Gambit gently climbed into the orb, being careful so as not to hurt her further, she finally let her eyelids flutter shut and sleep claim her.

**A/N: So, clearly, this is a dark fic. But don't worry, they'll be lots of light and fluffy moments for all your Romy lovers out there.**

**I appreciate all comments and reviews. I know there are a couple of stories where the Acolytes rescue Rogue instead of the X-Men, but hopefully this one will be different enough to catch your attention. I promise I've got a few twists and surprises in here that I haven't read anywhere else.**

_Mon Dieu, cherie, qu'ont-ils vous fait_: My God, dear, what have they done to you?

_Le quel est, cherie_: What is it, dear?


	2. Convictions of the Heart

**A/N: Hope you all enjoy this next chapter. There's more angst, but also some Romy goodness and Pyro hysteria. **

"What the bloody hell are we doing in the middle of bloody nowhere?!"

Rogue winced at the pitch of the unfamiliar voice, but still felt too groggy to do much more than snuggle deeper into her temporary pillow.

"_Silence_," her pillow, more commonly known as Gambit, hissed. "Let de _fille_ sleep some more, _non_?"

She didn't bother to correct the Cajun. She didn't think she had it in her. At least if they thought she was sleeping, they wouldn't question why she hadn't yet moved away from the man who'd tried to blow up her hand a mere few days ago. Currently, it was something she was pondering herself.

It couldn't be the fact that he was drop dead gorgeous or smelled like the perfect southern mixture of tobacco, spice, and pine. Because the Rogue was _not_ swayed by those sorts of girly things. Nope. She wasn't like the other girls at the Institu—

And suddenly her breath caught in her throat and her heart constricted in the most painful of ways. The Institute. Kitty, Kurt. They'd abandoned her. She'd almost been able to forget… almost.

"Fine, but when the chipmunks decide to launch a full scale attack, don't say I didn't warn ya, mate!"

"Pyro, not now."

Rogue was torn between thanking Magneto for commanding silence (because it lessened the pain of the migraine that was currently plaguing her) and begging Pyro not to stop his rant. If she didn't have something to focus on, that'd only leave her with thoughts of her friends – ex friends, she harshly reminded herself – and Area 51. At that, she uncontrollably shivered, something that did not go unnoticed by the man who held her.

"_Cherie_? Y' all right?"

Forcing her eyes open, Rogue gave a half-hearted glare at Gambit. It was hard to be too mad at the person who saved you. Especially when they were looking at you with such beautiful, worried eyes.

_Beautiful eyes?_ Rogue mentally sneered at herself. _Girl, have you gone mad? This is the guy who's responsible for your imprisonment in the first place! Him and all his stupid Acolyte buddies._

"Fine as frog hair," she bit out, though the sarcasm was lessened by the raspy sound of her voice. "No thanks ta ya."

She made an attempt to move out of his arms, but stopped abruptly as the trench coat shifted and nearly left her naked again. Quickly, Gambit readjusted the coat for her, making sure she was covered as much as possible. She fought the urge to smile in thanks and instead hardened her glare.

_Focus Rogue!_ She berated herself. _Him. Magneto. Trap. Area 51_.

That did just the trick.

"It's all ya fault!" she screamed. "Ya set that trap for us and we fell right into it! Do ya have any idea what they put us through? What they did ta me?"

Rogue didn't know when she'd started crying, only that suddenly her cheeks were wet and her lower lip trembling. She quickly moved out of Gambit's lap and to a standing position, which proved to be a terrible mistake.

Apparently, two hours was not a sufficient time to recover from severe torture because Rogue's knees began to quake and she toppled over. She would have hit the ground hard, probably causing much more damage to her already weakened body, had it not been for Gambit. He lunged forward, grabbing a hold of her and cradling her against his chest.

Hurt, angry, terrified, and confused beyond all measure, Rogue did the only thing she could think of. She hit him. Once, twice, three times. Each sob that came out of her was punctuated by a fist to his chest until she was left with no more energy and could only collapse against him.

"Rogue?"

She looked up, surprised to hear his voice sound so tender when all she'd done was scream at him.

_Not that he don't deserve it_, she thought bitterly.

"Y' getting' captured was never part o' de plan."

She let out a strange sound, something halfway between a snort and a sniffle. "Bullshit," she replied.

"Actually, he's telling the truth."

Rogue whipped her head around so fast that it hurt. Standing behind her, his helmet in his hands, was Magneto. His face held none of the usual arrogance, but for once seemed quite somber. And Rogue knew, from the memories if nothing else, half the reason Magneto wore the helmet on his head was to hide his emotions. He'd never been good at concealing them when something particularly important was weighing heavy on his mind. It was this, more than anything else, that made Rogue listen to what he had to say.

"The plan was for a battle between the Acolytes and the X-Men to draw the Sentinels out and unveil not only our existence, but theirs as well. You were never supposed to get captured. And I never thought the X-Men would abandon you if you were."

Refusing to cry again, Rogue blinked back the tears she felt sting her eyes at the reminder of betrayal. "Yeah, me neither."

Feeling a warm hand rub gentle circles in the small of her back, Rogue looked back at Remy and couldn't help but offer him a sad smile. He _had_ saved her after all. And, if what Magneto was saying was true…

"Despite what Charles may have told you, my only concern has always been mutantkind. Everything I've done has been to protect our people."

He kneeled down next to her and took her battered hand in his gloved one, flipping it over so they all got a good look at the number branded on her forearm.

003.

"To keep past atrocities from once again occurring," he whispered.

He didn't need to say anymore. Rogue knew from his memories exactly what atrocities he was referring to.

Slowly taking her hand out of his grasp, she raised her emerald eyes to meet his steel blue ones. "Ah know."

And she did. Now at long last she understood his vision, understood why he fought so adamantly against the X-Men. With monsters like Trask around, when you knew peace was not always an option, how could you not?

She bit her lip. There were too many thoughts floating around her head. Thoughts of betrayal, revenge, and doubt. It was all making for one spectacular migraine, which was only aggravated by the roaring psyches. Whatever stupor they'd been in before, they were out of it now and more furious than ever. Raising a hand to her head, she couldn't help but groan.

"Y' okay, _cherie_?"

"It's the psyches. They're acting up again."

"Charles isn't the only one who can help you with that," came the soft reply from Magneto.

Rogue looked up at him. His face was open and his tone light, letting her know that he wasn't going to keep her against her will, just offering her a way out.

Her instinctual reply was a resounding no. After all, they'd tried that before and it hadn't worked out.

_But that wasn't his fault, was it? Mystique was the one who lied to you, not Magneto_.

That was undeniably true. In fact, she'd never even met Magneto before that whole Asteroid M catastrophe.

_Yet another reason not to trust the metal head. He's nothing but trouble, Stripes._

Shaking her head, Rogue used all her will power to construct a mental wall to block the psyches. All of them. She'd never really had to do that before, and part of her felt bad about doing it to Logan's psyche. He'd only ever tried to look out for her. And though she understood he meant well, this was a decision she needed to make on her own.

But, along with Wolverine's psyche, she had Magneto's and she knew that he'd created Asteroid M with good intentions. He'd wanted to help the mutant race, make them see that they couldn't sit around and wait for humans to accept them. It might never happen. Better to get a head start while they still could. Sure his methods were misguided, but no one was perfect, right?

And, with all that'd happened to Rogue in the last few days, she whole heartily agreed with him. Even if the human race would eventually come around, who knows how long that would take? Five years? Ten? A lifetime? She couldn't wait around for that. She couldn't continue to live her life in fear. And she'd _never_ let a man like Trask treat her with such cruelty again.

Her blood boiled at the thought and it took all she had to contain her rage at the man. She wanted to scream, wanted to kick and punch and hit, wanted to _kill_. It was an unfamiliar feeling, one that scared her. One that she knew the X-men could never understand.

And that lead back to the real problem, didn't it? The X-men had never really gotten her. For that matter, she'd never really gotten them. Where they were trusting and accepting, she was suspicious and guarded. They believed in white and black, right and wrong, and she knew the world existed in shades of grey. She'd tried to see it from their point of view, but it never really stuck.

In the Danger Room sessions, Scott always called her on being too ruthless, she wanted to scream back that he was a pansy. They preached acceptance and a hope for a world where humans and mutants could live in peace together. She was cynical by nature and had always doubted Xavier's mission.

It hadn't been a belief in his vision that drove her to them. It was the sting of betrayal. The hurt and anger at Mystique for having lied and manipulated her. The ironic thing was that if Mystique had been honest with her from the beginning, things probably would have turned out differently. She'd probably still be with the Brotherhood.

_Well_, Rogue thought with a smirk, _they say there's always a silver lining._

But could she join up with Magneto? Sure, she may have more faith in his cause than Xavier's, but could she betray the X-men? After all they'd done for her?

_They betrayed you first_.

Except Logan. And Mr. McCoy. And Evan. They'd been betrayed too. They'd been trapped right beside her, had suffered the same fate. Even if she could leave the others, could she leave them? Especially Logan.

It'd kill whatever relationship they had if she joined up with Magneto. He took betrayal about as well as she did and to him that's exactly what joining Magneto's team, and therefore Sabertooth, would be. Regardless of whether or not the others betrayed her first.

She worried her lip between her teeth. "Where are Logan and the others anyway?"

"In the forest," Magneto answered. "I thought this would be a decision you'd need to make on your own."

Rogue raised an eyebrow at this. "How'd ya know there'd be a decision ta make at all?"

He smiled at her and, though it wasn't warm like the Professor's, it lacked its usual menace and made him seem almost… approachable. "I had a hunch. We're a lot more alike than you think, Rogue."

She knew that already. Oddly enough, it was his psyche that gave her the least trouble. In fact, he'd never said a word. She supposed it had something to do with the fact that he understood what it was like to be trapped. And a prison is a prison, be it a confine in Auschwitz or an overcrowding in your own mind.

"Even if Ah did decide ta come with ya," she began slowly, "there'd have ta be some rules."

Magneto nodded, agreeing. "On both sides."

"Ah won't give up any information about the X-men."

"Not a problem," he answered quickly. "I doubt there's much you could tell me that I don't already know."

He spared a brief, almost amused glance with Gambit, who's hand had continued its ministrations up her back and now gently massaged her shoulders (though how he managed to do this without causing her further pain, she had no idea). Rogue ignored the urge to turn around and look at the Cajun charmer. He'd probably have some damnable smirk on his face at her lack of protest (because somehow she just _knew_ he was well aware of the fact that she'd never let anyone be so close to her).

_It's my weakened state_, Rogue convinced herself. _Trask must have fried my brain while he was messing with my body. There's no other explanation._

But, she couldn't deny her piqued curiosity at Magneto's words. It obviously had something to do with Gambit, but what was it? What did he and Magneto know that she didn't?

_Whatever it is, I'm gonna find out._

"And Ah won't work with Sabertooth."

"Knew y' was a smart one, _cherie_."

She opened her mouth to tell him to stop calling her that because really how was she supposed to think when that Cajun accent of his kept sending shivers down her body? Of course, that just led to the thought of what else he could do that might give her goose bumps…

_No! Bad thoughts, Rogue! Bad! _

Luckily, she was saved by Pyro, who had apparently grown tired of making promiscuous fire dancers. "See Magnesy, even the sheila thinks he's a creeper. C'mon, how bout I fry us up some catburgers for dinner?"

He flicked his lighter open and started to demonstrate just what he'd like to do to Sabertooth. Rogue could feel Remy's chest rumbling with laughter beneath her and couldn't help the small smile that found its way on her face.

Magneto, however, was not quite as amused. "I told you not to call me that."

"Oh c'mon, Boss! You know you love the way I say your name. Makes you go all warm and tingly inside, like a dingo in—aaah!"

Pyro jumped and ran as Magneto sent one of the metal orbs chasing after him and this time Rogue did laugh, though it quickly turned to a grimace of pain. Tenderly feeling her ribs through Gambit's trench coat, she could tell two of them were bruised. Maybe even broken. Fucking bastards.

"Careful dere, _cherie_. Plenty o' time t' laugh at de Pyro when y' move in t' de base."

"Ah haven't said Ah was going with ya yet, so watch it Cajun."

"_Comme la dame souhaite_," was his airy reply and Rogue grit her teeth in slight annoyance.

"You'll find working around Sabertooth will not be a problem. The rest of the team does not particularly care for him either—"

"Gee, Ah wonder why?"

"So," Magneto continued, pretending the interruption had never occurred. "I tend to send him on solo missions and save the group work for everyone else. Any other questions?"

She bit her lip. "Will Ah have ta fight the X-men?"

"Undoubtedly."

Rogue paused. Could she do that? Could she fight the people she once considered her closest friends? Hell, her only friends.

_But friends don't abandon each other_, she reminded herself darkly. _If they'd really cared that much about you, they wouldn't have left_.

"Okay," she breathed. "Ah think Ah can deal with that."

_And if not then I'll cross that bridge when I get to it_.

"Good, but I also have some conditions. I know you've grown a certain attachment for some of the X-men, but if you should decide to join us, you'll have to cease all contact with them. For obvious reasons."

She nodded. That one she'd been expecting, not that it made it any less painful. Sure the X-men had abandoned her, but some part of her still cared for them. All of them. And especially Logan.

Rogue couldn't ignore the way her throat constricted and her heart ached at the thought of never speaking to him again, but she knew so much worse could happen if she stayed in a team whose vision she didn't share. And whose members she couldn't trust. It would destroy a part of her and she couldn't imagine it'd do wonders for the X-men either. Really, she reasoned, she'd be doing them all a favor.

"Okay. What else?"

"Some of things we do are less than legal and you must be prepared to not only assist in those missions, but also keep quiet about them."

"Done." That one was even easier. After all, seeing life in shades of grey made her all the more capable of crossing the blurred lines. Plus, Rogue figured there'd be no way she could work for Magneto without having to dirty her hands once in a while.

"Other than that, you'll be expected to train with the team and be on call 24/7. We have living quarters at the base, but if you choose to use your salary to rent your own—"

"Ah have a salary?" she asked incredulously.

"Of course. The others have one as well. I see it as only fair."

Her lips twitched at hearing the word "fair" come out of the mouth of Magneto, but otherwise she made no comment.

"As I was saying, you may live elsewhere if you so desire, so long as it within a reasonable distance. Other than that, you're free to come and go as you please. So, do we have a deal?"

Rogue stared at the hand he held out to her and took one last moment to consider what she was doing. She was leaving the X-men, leaving Kitty and Kurt, leaving Logan. And it'd have to be a permanent thing, she knew. The Acolytes were really the only team left. She'd tried the Brotherhood and that had been a flop. And going back to the X-men wouldn't be an option either. Even if they would accept her back into their folds, she doubted Magneto would let her leave.

He may be acting nice now, but she knew better than anyone that he had a ruthless nature about him. Then again, that was part of the reason Rogue was even considering joining his team. There'd be no more of the pansy-ass, never-get-your-hands-dirty crap. And maybe for once, she'd fit in. Maybe.

"Ah've got one more condition," she said.

"Yes?"

Taking a deep breath, Rogue calmed her furiously pounding heart. "Trask wasn't at the base when y'all attacked. He's still out there, somewhere, and Ah—"

She didn't know how to finish that statement. Because finishing would not only make what happened to her all the more real, but it would also acknowledge the hatred boiling inside her. And she'd always been taught at the Institute that hatred was unacceptable. That she should always try to understand the other side.

Oh, but she understood all right. Understood that Trask was a right bastard who was going to get what's coming to him. Because no one should ever get away with committing such heinous deeds. No one.

"It's okay, _cherie_. We'll get him back. Gambit swears it."

He gave her body a gentle squeeze and Magneto nodded in accordance. "Most assuredly."

Rogue swallowed hard and then shook Magneto's still extended hand. "Okay then," she breathed. "Ah'm in."

**A/N: So I hope you all enjoyed this next chapter. Please let me know what you think! Keep reading below for important info.**

**So, I'd like to give a special thanks to my lovely reviewers. I've responded to all of you individually in my profile and will continue to do this for every chapter.**

**For the other 185 of you, for shame! Reading and not reviewing. I make it a point to try and review every chapter/story I read and I'm begging you to do the same. I think, more than anything, this should be a site that helps us all to grow as writers. And how can we do that without constructive criticism and positive feedback? **

**So, I'm going to make a deal with all of my readers. 48 hours after posting each chapter, I will go online and look at how many reviews I've gotten in comparison to how many times the story is viewed. If the reviews are at least 15 of the hits, I'll upload the next chapter immediately. If they're not, I'm going to wait another 5 days.**

**Hopefully, this will get more of you in the habit of reviewing stories. Make no mistake, this isn't about boosting my ego or anything, I simply want Fanfiction to be a site were fellow authors help each other grow and feedback is a big part of that. The idea is if you get used to reviewing my story, you'll get in the habit of helping others as well. **

**Now to be fair, if 15 don't review, I won't leave those of you who did out to dry. Include your e-mail with your review (or in a PM to me) and I'll personally send you the next chapter, so long as you PROMISE to officially review on the site as soon as the chapter is uploaded.**

**Thanks again for reading. I hope I haven't upset anyone because that was definitely not my intent. I appreciate all of you regardless and sincerely hope you'll continue reading and enjoying **_**Gone**_**.**

**Best, Rae Rihanna**

Translations:

_Silence- _Quiet

_Comme la dame souhaite_- As the lady wishes


	3. Double Betrayal

Remy Lebeau was not one to wear his heart on his sleeve. And he certainly didn't fall in love. Not since Belladonna and never again. He'd promised himself that a long time ago and had worked very hard at keeping that promise, which was more than obvious from the string of broken hearts he'd left in his wake the past two years.

So why was his heart all of a sudden pounding against his chest? Surely it couldn't be the girl in his arms. Pretty though she may be, he'd been with far more gorgeous women. And he could actually _touch_ them. Even considering the possibility of being with Rogue was ludicrous if they couldn't so much as kiss without her powers zapping him dry.

_Y' know dere be ways around dat, homme_, he reminded himself.

And indeed there were. Lingerie type body suites were one option and Remy was pretty sure he could come up with other ideas if he really wanted. But that was the ultimate question. Did he want that? Did he want to just use Rogue? After all she'd been through?

The answer was an unsurprising no. He knew firsthand what it was like to be betrayed and broken. And after all the torture and heartbreak she'd gone through these last few days (hell, years probably), Remy just didn't have it in him. He might be the best player this side of the Mississippi, but he wasn't a heartless_ bâtard_. Remy knew one more betrayal, one more heartbreak, and Rogue would be irreparably damaged.

_Merde_, he though, _I'm shocked dat she ain't already_.

As his mind recalled the condition he'd found her in at Area 51, his grip on her instinctively tightened and Remy had to check himself before he accidentally hurt the girl. They _would_ get revenge on Trask and everyone else involved. No matter how long it took, he wouldn't stop until they'd all paid for their actions. Because seeing Rogue naked and terrified, huddling in the corner of her cell with blood running unchecked down her torso, had done something to Remy.

At first he'd been shocked, as if he couldn't believe what he was looking at. And then the anger had come, white and hot and painfully blinding. He'd been tempted to go rip out those fuckers' throats and watch them bleed to death in those sickeningly pure white lab coats. But Rogue's quiet sniffles and sobs had called to him and without another thought, he'd covered her trembling form with his trench coat and carried her out of that hellhole.

It didn't even occur to Remy until after the fact that he'd never let a _femme_ wear his coat before. But somehow, it didn't matter. There was something about Rogue that made Remy feel strange inside, made a desire swell within him to protect her all costs. Truthfully, it scared the crap out of him.

_She's just another femme_, he told himself.

Or was she? What could Rogue be to him if he wasn't willing to use her? A friend? He'd only had one real girl _friend_ before and that was a special relationship forged from strange events. What did he _really_ want?

Well, he _didn't_ want her to go back with the X-men, that was for sure. They didn't deserve her. A part of him longed for her to come back to the base with them and see what would develop. Another part of him was terrified at the prospect. She was headstrong and stubborn, a mystery to be unraveled, and an Aries if he remembered correctly from the files he'd stolen from the Institute. The perfect counterpart to his Gemini.

She invoked long forgotten emotions and feelings in the Cajun thief. And her eyes sparkled like the brightest emeralds. Green was such an unusual eye color, though not quite so much as his own. Truth be told, he'd been as entranced with her eyes when they'd first met on the battlefield as she was with his own. Perhaps that was why he'd given her a charged card that was set to explode only after she'd released it. Some instinctive part of him didn't want to hurt her, even if that had been the original objective.

Remy softly massaged her tender back, interjecting his own thoughts now and then during her conversation with Magneto. Discreetly, he studied her legs, which laid bare in the soft grass, not covered by his brown trench coat. There were bruises and cuts marring the porcelain perfection and Remy was glad Magneto had the foresight to instruct the Acolytes to bring syringes filled with cortisone. He hoped that the medication he'd secretly injected her with on the ride here was helping to lessen the pain and make the soft rubbing of her back pleasurable rather than agonizing.

As the conversation drew to a close, Remy couldn't deny the swell of excitement that rose within him when Rogue agreed to join the Acolytes. It'd be nice to have her around, he concurred. For all the questions her presence would bring, having a _fille_ at the base would be a welcome change from the testosterone overload he typically had to deal with.

He was about to speak up and welcome her to their ranks when a loud roar sounded from the nearby forest. Rogue tensed in his arms and Remy watched Magneto wince from the noise. He didn't need anyone to clarify who was responsible for the animalistic cry or the loud crash that accompanied it less than ten seconds later, but Rogue voiced what they were all thinking anyway.

"Logan."

When her Cajun savior stood, still cradling Rogue in his arms, she shook her head. "Put me down, Gambit."

He stared at her, exasperated. "_Cherie_, y' ain't gonna be able t' make it dere on y' own."

"Ah realize that," she growled, "But if Logan sees ya carrying me, he's gonna be even more pissed off. And Ah just can't deal with it right now."

Gambit studied her for a long moment before nodding his acquiescence. "_D'accord_, but Gambit's going with y'."

"As am I," said Magneto.

Rogue merely sighed, knowing she wasn't going to be able to stop them. And, if she were to be honest with herself, their presence would be comforting when she broke the news to Logan.

As Remy set her down, Rogue struggled to stand by herself. But when her knees started to quake and beads of sweat began forming on her brow, she resigned herself to the fact that she just wouldn't be able to do it on her own. Reluctantly, she let Gambit slip an arm around her waist. And even then, as they started taking timid steps towards the forest, Rogue could feel the strain on her body.

_C'mon Rogue, you can do this! Just one step at a time. Only two hundred feet to go._

"Rogue?"

"Ah'm fine, Cajun."

"At dis rate it'll be sundown before we make it halfway."

"Well Ah'm sorry if Ah'm moving too slow for ya, Swamp Rat," she snapped, " but being _brutally tortured_ can take a lot out of a gal."

Rogue didn't miss the flicker of pain and guilt that flashed through Gambit's eyes and it made her heart ache. He didn't deserve her cruelty. He'd been the one to save her for God's sake! And here she was, taking everything out on him. She sighed.

_Way to go, Rogue. Yet another royal fuck-up on your part._

"Look, Gambit, Ah'm sorry. Ah just—what are ya doing?!"

She had to keep herself from squealing as he picked her up once again and began taking long strides towards the forest. "Just cheatin' de system a bit, _cherie_."

"Ah told ya ta put me—"

She was cut off as Gambit gently set her on the ground once more, not ten feet from the thick forest that hid Logan and the others from sight. Looking up at the grinning Acolyte, Rogue fixed him with a fierce glare.

"Y' welcome."

"You suck."

His grin grew to a full-blown smirk and he winked one of those devil eyes at her. "Only certain things."

Rogue's eyes widened and she looked away, blushing furiously and attempting to hide it by mumbling obscenities under her breath. Slipping an arm around her waist, Gambit merely chuckled and helped her walk into the forest.

"C'mon, _cherie_, let's go face de music, _hein_?"

"What'd you mean you're not coming with us?"

Rogue stepped back from Logan's warm embrace and tried her best to stand alone, despite the pain in her side and wobbliness of her legs. "Ah'm going with Magneto, Logan. Ah—Ah can't do this anymore."

"Do what?"

She waved her hands about futilely. "Any of it. Ah can't pretend to believe in this shit anymore. Not after—"

Logan's stern gaze softened and he took a step forward. "Stripes, I know what you're going through. I was there too. But joining Magneto ain't gonna make things right. And he won't care about you like the X-men do."

Rogue took a step back, her eyes blazing with fury. "The X-men just _left me_, Logan. They left us all!"

"They didn't have a choice, kid. What were they supposed to do?"

"Anything!" she screamed, hot tears trickling down her face. "They should have done whatever it took to get us back! _But they just left_!"

"And what good would it have done? They were outnumbered, Stripes! It was a smart move. Retreat, regroup, and then form a rescue pla—"

"A rescue, Logan?" she scoffed bitterly. "In case ya forgot, they didn't rescue us. The Acolytes did. The X-men didn't do jack shit."

"That ain't true kid and you know it."

Rogue didn't say anything for a minute. She simply stared at Wolverine, as if she'd never seen him before. Was this the same man who'd trained her? Who taught her that betrayal was the only unforgivable act? Why didn't he understand? Why was he still siding with _them_?

She took a deep, steadying breath. "Just go, Logan."

He took another step forward and reached out to grab her hand. "Rogue—"

_No_, she thought, jerking away from him so quickly that she lost her balance and tumbled to the ground. A sharp pain shot through her leg and Rogue gasped, looking down to find one of the many wounds on her right leg had reopened and was bleeding profusely. And it hurt like hell.

Out of the corner of her eye, Rogue saw Gambit move towards her and she quickly shook her head. Right now, she couldn't handle him and the way he made her feel. She needed to concentrate and Gambit was _definitely_ not good for that. Reluctantly, the Cajun stayed back, though Wolverine did not seem so inclined. He was bending down to help her and Rogue glanced up at him, her eyes narrowed and breathing heavy.

"Don't touch me," she hissed.

The hurt look in his eyes almost made her want to take it back, but she shook her head, trying to stay focused. If she gave in now, she'd give in to everything. She'd go back with him and the others. She'd remain part of the X-men. And she'd be completely and utterly miserable.

_Stay strong, Rogue. Don't forget what the others did to you._

The swell of anger and bitterness that rose in her chest helped to push down the sorrow and guilt. Stubbornly, Rogue met Logan's gaze and cleared her emerald eyes of all emotion. It was something she'd become good at over the years, hiding what she felt, donning a cold mask of indifference. But she never thought she'd have to use it with Logan.

Apparently, neither did he. His eyes widened at the lack of feeling in her own and Logan stood up abruptly. "Stripes, your home is with us."

"It's Rogue," she answered coolly. "And Ah'm an Acolyte now."

It broke her heart to say it. Because no matter how she might feel towards the X-men, she'd always considered Logan a father. Probably always would. But this was something she had to do and if he couldn't understand that… well, he wasn't the first person she'd pushed away. And God knows he wouldn't be the last.

But, even though she _knew_ she had to push him away, had to save herself no matter the cost, Rogue couldn't look at him when those normally warm, brown eyes turned hard as steel. She didn't watch as he walked away from her or glance up when he entered the metal orb that would carry him, Evan, and Beast back to the X-men. Even when the orb disappeared into the horizon, Rogue kept her eyes trained on the ground, trying to contain the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks.

_I did it. I actually _did _it. I left the X-men._

She barely registered that Remy was now crouching beside her or that he'd softy rested one of his hands on her shoulder.

"Rogue? _Cherie_? Y' all right?"

"No," she answered honestly. "Ah'm not."

**A/N: So there you have it. Chapter three of **_**Gone**_**. I hope you all liked it! And I'm sure you have lots of questions or concerns (like me destroying Rogue's relationship with Logan, etc…). If you'd like an in depth answer, feel free to post in the forum I've created for this fic. You can easily find it if you search through the X-Men: Evolution forums.**

**Now, we didn't hit the 15 marker for reviews. But we got so close (13) and so many of you reviewed that I decided to post anyway! 31 reviews for a chapter is amazing! Thanks so much! I'm ecstatic you guys took my words to heart and it means the world to me. Keep it up, because the same deal replies for every chapter from here on out (and I'm gonna start sticking to my guns; 15 upload 2 days later, less than upload a week later). It only takes a minute! I know we can do it!**

**As always, review responses are in my profile page. Make sure to check them out because I answer any questions you have and sometimes there's a surprise or two waiting for you.**

**Hope everyone's having a great day! I look forward to hearing what you think!**

**Always,**

**Rae**

_Homme_: man

_Merde: _shit

_Femme:_ woman

_Fille_: girl

_Cherie:_ dear

_D'accord:_ agreed


	4. Unbidden Desire

**So, this actually isn't Rae. It's her cousin Brandi. Rae's been in the hospital since early April. I'm not sure how much she wants me to share, so I'll leave that up to her when she gets out in the next week or so. But, she was absolutely freaking out about not updating this story in so long so I finally convinced Aunt Marge to let her write them by hand and now I'm going to be typing them up and putting them on this site. She's gotten like four chapters written or something so they'll be up as quick as I can type 'em. Anyway, she wanted me to let y'all know she's sorry for the late update. It took forever for us to convince her mom that writing wouldn't put undue stress on her body and even longer for her to explain to me how to work this dang website! I'm printing out the reviews for her tonight so you guys can expect the responses to those by tomorrow. I've gotta say I'm mighty impressed by this site. It's so complex. Plus (from a teacher's perspective) anything that gets kids to read and write more is fine by me.**

**And I'm supposed to dedicate this chapter to gatemaster. I printed out all of Rae's e-mails for her and she thought it was groovy that you liked the story enough to send her a message when she didn't update on her usual schedule. She wants you to know it won't happen again!**

**Oh and please review guys! Right now, anything that makes my cousin happy will help her get better and its amazing how tickled pink she gets whenever she reads the comments left about her work. Thanks!**

The sun had sunk below the horizon by the time the Acolytes finally made it back to Magneto's base. Stepping out of the metal orb she shared with Gambit, Rogue tried her best to fight off the exhaustion she felt weighing down her eyelids. But the escape from Area 51 and her emotional departure from Logan had taken a lot out of the southern Goth and she couldn't help but lean against her fellow Acolyte for support.

Glancing down at her, concern etched across his features, he swiftly wrapped an arm around her waist. "_Cherie_?"

"Just get me to a bed, Cajun."

She took a step forward, despite her wobbly legs, but found the movement to be more difficult than expected. Rogue winced in pain and sucked in a sharp breath, trying to steady herself. The adrenaline from before had long since worn off and her attempts to block out the X-men's betrayal left her with only her extensive injuries to concentrate on. And they hurt like a bitch. Rogue could feel every cut, every bruise, from damaged ribs to torn ligaments. It was almost unbearable and she could feel reflexive tears spring to her eyes.

"Rogue?"

She chanced a glance over at the Master of Magnetism, who was carefully studying her body, as if he could see the injuries through the duster she wore. "Perhaps it would be beneficial for you to absorb Victor's healing abilities."

"No," she snapped in a way that left no room for debate. "Ah'm not going anywhere near that fool. And ya better keep him way from me."

Magneto stared at her for a moment before dipping his head in agreement. "Very well. I'll see what I can do about getting a doctor for you. In the mean time, Gambit will show you to your room. And you two," he said, turning to face Pyro and Colossus, "come with me."

With that, the three swept away into the night, leaving Gambit and Rogue to their own devices. There was a moment of awkward silence that accompanied Magneto's departure. Rogue shifted from foot to foot, marveling at the softness of the grass and trying to concentrate on anything other than the pain that coursed through her body and Gambit's intoxicating presence. Of course, having him so close didn't help. Nor did wearing his trench coat, which enveloped her with both its warm feel and delicious scent.

_Like bayou musk meets amber and tobacco. God I miss the South._

Her musings were abruptly interrupted by said Cajun, who'd swept her up in his arms and was navigating his way through the dark with ease. Rogue opened her mouth to berate him and demand he set her down, but quickly realized the futility of it all.

_It's not like I could walk on my own anyhow. Plus, I might as well enjoy it while I can. That whole temporary insanity excuse will only work for so long._

"Ya better watch it, Swamp Rat. If ya drop me Ah'll kick ya ass."

Gambit grinned down at her before throwing open the front door of the base, which Rogue _still_ couldn't see through the thick blackness that surrounded them. "Wouldn't dream of it, _cherie_."

"And why is it so freaking dark? Haven't ya people heard of electricity?"

"De first thing y' need t' learn about Magneto is dat everything's a test. De _homme_ likes de team t' be able t' function in all sorts o' situations. So sometimes de power comes on and sometimes it don't."

"So what?" Rogue asked, shifting carefully in Gambit's arms as he skillfully maneuvered down the numerous halls. "This tests ya powers of observation?"

"_Exactement_."

Rogue considered this information for a moment before deciding she liked the idea. It had been one of her principal complaints at the Institute that everyone lived too carelessly and unguarded. The only real training they'd ever received was from Logan, but even that felt… safe. Protected. The professor had always coddled his students and it never ceased to annoy the crap out of Rogue. There was something about Magneto's base that reminded her to always keep her guard up, to always be on alert. It was a good lesson and one that Rogue could definitely appreciate.

"_Ici nous sommes_. Remy gonna have t' put y' down fo' a minute, _d'accord_?"

Shaking herself out of her reverie, Rogue nodded and braced herself against the nearby wall as Gambit lowered her to the ground. Squinting her eyes, she could just barely see the outline of a door in front of her. She reached out to search for a handle and was surprised when Remy suddenly turned on a flashlight.

"Ya mean ya had that all this time and didn't use it?"

Smirking, Gambit motioned to his eyes. "Didn't need it, _cherie_. Dis be more fo' y' den Remy."

He focused the light on the door and Rogue was confused by the lack of any sort of handle or knob. "How am Ah supposed to open it?"

"See dat panel?" She looked where the light was centered on the wall and nodded. "It's a hand scanner. Y' can set it t' recognize y' prints so nobody else can get in y' room."

Rogue's emerald eyes widened just a tad. Hand scanner? That was some pretty high-tech stuff. "Nobody?"

"Well, not without using dere powers, _hein_? Go ahead, try it out."

Timidly, Rogue placed her hand against the pad and the scanner immediately activated. "Detecting signature for beta floor, room seven. Name?"

"Um… Rogue?"

"Signature accepted. Welcome new resident."

The door suddenly opened and as the lights slowly faded up, Rogue's jaw literally dropped at the sight that met her.

Her bedroom was _amazing._ Though it was large enough to fit at least three people comfortably, the canopied king-size bed in the center left no doubt in Rogue's mind that she'd never have to share. All of the furniture, from the work desk to the vanity, was made of the finest mahogany and the room had a beautiful black and green theme. With Gambit's help, Rogue was able to make her way across the hardwood floor.

_Oh my God. This is unbelievable! _

Gently fingering the golden handles on the French doors that led to her own private balcony, Rogue felt her breath catch in her throat. Everything from the handcrafted wardrobe to the landscaped portraits of Mississippi mounted on the wall screamed southern. It was delightfully obvious that whoever had decorated this room had done it with careful consideration. Rogue couldn't help but smile as she turned to face Gambit.

"Magneto's had this planned for a while, huh?"

Gambit smirked. "We been watching y' fo' weeks, Rogue. Knew y' weren't happy wit' de X-men. De whole Trask thing was just—"

He cut off abruptly at the crestfallen look that quickly overcame her features. Rogue bit her lip and wrapped her arms protectively around her torso. She'd been trying to avoid thinking about Trask. Every time she did, a swell of hatred and fury rose within her and all she wanted to do was kill him. Or worse. And, unfortunately, the hatred often came mixed with fear. Fear that he'd find her again. Fear that the next time, she wouldn't have anyone to come to her rescue. And, despite the curse that she had been given, despite how painful life could be sometimes, Rogue didn't want to die. She wanted a chance to get control, a chance to be happy. A chance to really _live_.

"Rogue, Remy didn't mean to—"

"Don't worry about it, Cajun. Ah'll be okay."

He stared at her, clearly not believing, but nodded anyway. "Do y' need any help…"

Gambit gestured toward the bed and Rogue could not stop the color that rushed to her cheeks. She mumbled a gruff "no" and slowly hobbled towards the wardrobe, hoping Magneto had thought far enough ahead to buy her some new clothes. With her back turned, Rogue completely missed the exasperate eye roll Gambit gave at her refusal.

In four large strides, he'd passed Rogue and flung open the doors to the wardrobe, handing a pair of emerald green pajamas to the glaring Goth.

"Ah could have gotten it myself."

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "Not befo' sunrise, _cherie_."

There was a slight pause, and then, "Y' know, dat duster can be _tres difficile _t' get out o'. Remy'd be mo' den happy to—"

"GAMBIT!"

He laughed and ducked out of the way of the pillow she'd thrown at him, quickly moving to exit the room as she grabbed even more artillery from the nearby bed. Just before he shut the door behind him, he tossed one last look at the infuriated River Rat.

"De name's Remy."

As she flung the final pillow against the closed door, Rogue couldn't help it as her glare faded and her lips tilted up in a soft smile.

ROMYROMYROMYROMYROMYROMYROMYROMYROMYROMYROMYROMYROMYROMY

He'd been tossing and turning in his bed for hours now, unable to sleep. His mind was too preoccupied with thoughts of the southern girl who now resided in the room next to his and it was absolutely infuriating. She should be nothing more than a challenge to him, just another conquest. And yet…

There was something about her that Remy just couldn't pinpoint, something that made her different from all the other girls he'd been with. They'd all lacked substance and been little more to him than a quick fuck. But Rogue, with her two-tone hair, emerald eyes, and milky white skin, entranced him, made him want to get to know her in the purest sense. No one had intrigued him so much since Belladonna. And that's what terrified him.

_Y' can't let de past rule y' future, Remy._

Tante Mattie's voice echoed through his head and Remy tried to block her out. He acknowledged the wisdom in her words but he just wasn't ready to apply them to his own life. Not when the pain of the past still haunted him. No, it was easier to just get what he needed and get out.

_And what about de broken hearted _filles _y' leave in y' wake, hein? What about Rogue?_

Growling, Remy rolled over and buried his face in a down-feather pillow. He shut his eyes tightly and tried not to think of Rogue and how desperately he'd wanted to protect her when they first broke into Area 51. Remy willed himself to forget the way she looked in his duster, the way she'd clung to him in the metal orb, the way her voice sent goosebumps across his skin—

"Remy?"

He froze. There was no way – _no way_ – she was here, in his room, now. Slowly, he sat up and opened his eyes, which could see far better in the darkness than should be normal. Sure enough, Rogue was standing in the doorway, clad in only a pair of tight black shorts and a green tank top. The moonlight made her skin gleam ethereally and highlighted the red in her auburn hair.

"_Elle est comme un ange," _he muttered before tossing off his comforter and sitting up as she made her way towards him.

"Is something wrong, _cherie_?"

"Ah couldn't sleep," she whispered and the soft trembling of her body did not escape him.

"Do y' want Remy to get y' anything?"

"Ah don't know, Ah just—"

She gasped and only Remy's quick movements saved her body, clearly exhausted, from crashing to the ground. Reflexively, he grabbed her arms and pulled her to his chest, realizing all too late that he was only wearing boxers and now they were touching skin-to-skin. Wincing, Remy waited for her powers to activate and absorb the very life from his body.

It never came.

Glancing down at Rogue, he noted she looked just as surprised as he felt.

"_Que l'enfer_?"

"Remy," she said, her voice breathy enough that he could feel it caress his skin. "Look."

His red on black eyes widened as he realized she was referring to his body, which was glowing with a light pink force field. A barrier of what he assumed was kinetic energy. And, apparently, it was enough to defend against her own powers.

Neither southerner spoke for a minute, both too shocked for words. But when silent tears began to course down Rogue's cheeks, Remy gently took her face in his hands and brushed her tangled locks away from her face.

"_Cherie_, what's wrong?"

Rogue shook her head and laughed. "Nothing. Nothing at all, Swamp Rat."

"Den why are y' crying?"

"Because," she answered, grasping one of his hands with her own. "Now Ah can properly thank ya for saving me."

And with that, she leaned up towards him and tenderly pressed her lips against his. At first, Remy didn't know how to react. Didn't know if he should return the embrace or back away. He didn't want to hurt her. He _couldn't_ hurt her. She deserved so much more than a one night stand and he wasn't sure he was ready for that.

_Y' sure y' ain't just afraid?_

Remy mentally scowled at the thought, but couldn't deny the truth of the statement. He _was_ afraid. He was terrified of being hurt, of giving his heart to Rogue and having her rip it apart like Belladonna had done.

_Bu she ain't Belladonna, homme. And can y' really just let her go?_

The answer to that was obvious. So without another thought, Remy wrapped his arms around Rogue's slim stomach and kissed her back. Their tongues clashed and bodies trembled and it felt _amazing_. Her touch burned like fire against his skin and when she moaned against his lips, Remy could literally feel the desire swell within him.

His hands wandered the trail of her body, trying to memorize every curve and dimple, every spot that made her sigh, but it wasn't enough. He wanted to feel her body naked beneath his, hear her moan his name in ecstasy. He wanted _her_ in every way.

Remy didn't know how or when they ended up on the bed, didn't recall her hands stripping away his boxers or his own making short work of her shirt. But when he cupped her breasts and squeezed, making her arch into him and brushing against his throbbing pelvis in the process, Remy was very much aware.

He opened his eyes and found himself staring into her own green orbs, filled with all sorts of emotions that should have frightened him, emotions that normally would have sent him fleeing from the room. But, strangely, he found himself smiling and kissing Rogue's forehead, whispering ridiculous French endearments in her ear.

And when he finally united their bodies, Remy realized how very silly it was to be terrified of the woman beneath him. They were wonderful together. He'd never felt anything so _right_ in his life. Everything about her was perfect. This night was perfect.

If only he could quiet those incessant screams.

Remy stopped his movement and perked his ears to listen. Whoever it was sounded terrified and vaguely familiar. But where in the hell was it coming from? It had been quiet at first, but it was getting steadily louder and Remy had to lift his hands to cover his ears. Except for some odd reasons his hands were wet. Wet and sticky.

Looking down at them, he noticed they were covered in something red. It didn't take him long to realize it was blood and with horror he looked down at Rogue, who's flawless body was now covered with wounds. And those horrifying screams were now coming from _her _mouth.

All of a sudden, they were no longer in bed, but back in Area 51. He was bound by metal chains that nullified his powers and Rogue… Rogue was lying on the floor. And Trask was standing above her, a bloody knife in his hands and a sinister smile plastered across his face.

Remy fought against the chains, yelled obscenities and threats at Trask, but nothing could stop the knife in his hands from plunging into Rogue's heart. Her tearful eyes met his own and Remy watched as the life faded from them, watched as the blood slowly stopped running, and never in his life had he felt such anguish. He screamed and he cried and he could feel the metal chains dig painfully into his wrists, but nothing mattered. She was dead.

And he'd let it happen.

ROMYROMYROMYROMYROMYROMYROMYROMYROMYROMYROMYROMYROMYROMY

He jerked awake in a cold sweat, chest heaving up and down rapidly, and instinctually reached for the gun hidden between the backboard of his bed and the mattress. Remy let his eyes dart around the room several times before he finally convinced himself that he was in no danger. He calmed the rapid beating of his heart and with trembling hands he placed the gun back in its holster.

It'd felt so fucking _real_. The chains that bruised his wrists, the terror and rage, Rogue's lips searing against his own…

"_Putain_!" he cursed, running his hands through his tussled hair.

And that's when he heard it. The terrifying screams that had switched his dream from fantasy to horror. Quieting his movements as much as possible, Remy listened carefully. The screams were faint, nearly nonexistent, which didn't surprise him as the walls of the base were almost soundproof. But nonetheless, he could hear them and it didn't take him long to figure out they were coming from Rogue's room.

Jumping out of bed and pausing only long enough to throw on a shirt, Remy quickly threw open his balcony doors and hopped from his ledge to Rogue's with the sort of skill one only achieved through years of practice. He made short work of the locks on the French doors and made a quick mental note to talk to Magneto about security. That had been way too easy. Flinging open the doors to Rogue's room, he stopped short at the sight that met him.

Rogue was screaming in her sleep, tossing back and forth and trying to fend off an unseen foe. But, despite it all, Remy was reminded from something he'd said earlier in his dream. She _did_ look like an angel. A fallen angel, perhaps, but most assuredly ethereal. The moonlight that poured in through the open doors made her sweat-covered skin glow in a way Remy'd never seen before. Of course, he'd never seen a girl quite so pale before either.

Shaking off his thoughts, he quickly dashed to her side, making sure not to touch her skin as he attempted to wake her from the nightmare.

"Rogue? _Cherie_?"

He gently shook her shoulders, covered in the green long-sleeved pajamas he'd handed her before, and the screams stopped. Remy let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding.

"Please," she whimpered. "Please let me go."

He froze.

"I'm not done with you yet."

The voice that came from her mouth was nothing like the warm southern accent he was used to. This one was harsh, clearly masculine, and threatening. One of the scientists, he guessed. Though how she'd ended up absorbing him, Remy had no idea. From what he'd seen at the base, those bastards had been extremely careful around all of the mutants.

"What'd ya want?"

"What do you _think_ I want?"

"Oh Gawd, please don't—"

"God can't help you now, freak."

Remy watched with morbid curiosity as Rogue begged the man not to touch her and her hands came up to wrap protectively around her chest. Realizing exactly what she was talking about, a wave of cold fury swept through Remy LeBeau and he felt his hands spasm on her shoulders. He couldn't listen to it anymore.

"Rogue. Wake up."

No response. Remy cursed her for being such a sound sleeper and then quietly asked for her forgiveness as he applied a slight amount of pressure to her collarbone. The yelp of pain that accompanied it and the reflexive hit he received in his gut was worth it when her emerald eyes snapped open to stare wildly at him.

"Remy?" she gasped, "What the hell are ya doing here?"

"Y' were having a nightmare, _cherie_. Remy could hear y' through de walls."

A slight blush crept across her face and Rogue tucked her tangled locks behind her ears. "Sorry."

"Don't be." He paused, studying her features carefully. "It's gettin' a little crowded in dere, huh?"

"Ah should start charging rent or something."

The sarcasm in her voice did little to hide the pain and bitterness behind it. A swell of sympathy rose within him. "Y' and Remy can talk to Magneto in de mornin', _oui_? See if he can do something to fix it."

"How?" she asked and he could see the skepticism in her eyes.

"Xavier ain't de only telepath in de world, _cherie_. Magneto will figure something out."

"Ya mean," she paused, biting her lip, "he'll get someone to get rid of them for me?"

"Remy don't see why not." He thought her words over for a moment and his red on black eyes narrowed. "Didn't de professor ever offer to do it fo' y'?"

Rogue shook her head. "He thought it'd be best for me ta get control by myself."

Remy snorted. "_Abruti_. How y' supposed to do dat with all de voices in y' head?"

"_Cela est que j'ai dit_."

They shared a soft smile. Rogue looked down to where his hands still held her shoulders and then flicked her gaze back up at him. She didn't say a word, but then again, she didn't need to. The look in her eyes was enough to let Remy know exactly what she wanted. And her desires were as contradictory as his own. A confusing mixture of 'let go' and 'hold me closer.'

Had she been more coherent and in less pain, Remy was sure Rogue would have snapped at him to get the hell out of her room. She would have scowled and glared and maybe even hit him. He'd studied her enough over the last few weeks to know that the Rogue did not like to be touched or coddled or comforted. She prided herself on her independence and impenetrable walls, both physical and emotional.

At least on the surface.

Maybe that was why she intrigued him so, why she'd had a starring role in his dreams for the past few weeks. Despite the tough attitude and cold demeanor, Rogue _did_ want to be touched. She wanted to giggle over boys and wear string bikinis. She wanted to be normal.

Just like he did.

The temptation to test out his dream's theory, see if he could create a kinetic energy field around his body and thereby touch her, was almost overwhelming. But Remy knew that if did that now and it didn't work, she'd likely never let him try again.

_Hold up, _homme. _Thought y' decided she was off limits._

Or had he? It was all so confusing and Remy didn't quite know what to do. For a man who was so used to being in control and always having a plan, it was beyond infuriating.

"Remy?"

He pulled himself from his thoughts and forced his concentration on Rogue, who was staring up at him with a concerned look on her face. Remy merely squeezed her shoulder once more before letting go and standing.

"Remy'll see y' in de morning, _hahn_?"

She nodded and curled back under the sheets, watching him as he walked out of the open doors and vaulted over the balcony. Had he been anyone else, Remy would have totally missed her whispered "thank you."

It brought a smile to his face and before he could think about what he was doing, Remy ripped the bedding off of his mattress and created a makeshift bed on the cold marble balcony. The French doors he'd purposefully left open allowed him to listen to Rogue's steady breathing and he took comfort in the fact that if she had another nightmare, he'd know about it.

_It's just cause she's your teammate_, he sternly told himself. _Nothing more_.

As he tried to fall asleep, Remy did a damn good job of ignoring the voice in the back of his mind that cursed him for a fool.

_Cherie- dear_

_Homme- man_

_Exactement- exactly_

_Ici nous sommes – here we are_

_Elle est comme un ange – she's like an angel_

_Que l'enfer – what the hell_

_Putain – fuck (literally translated: slut)_

_Abruti- idiot_

_Cela est que j'ai dit – that's what I said_


	5. Giving Up and Moving On

"Move it!" Rogue hissed, wiping the sweat from her brow and trying to get a decent look at their target. He'd been elusive thus far and it annoyed Rogue to no end that she'd yet to figure out just who they'd be fighting this go-round.

"Gawd blimey! Watch where you're pointing that thing, sheila!" St. John exclaimed, inching away from the rocket launcher that was resting dangerously close to his family jewels.

"Maybe if ya weren't _sitting in my lap_ we wouldn't be having this problem," she growled in response, sending her teammate a withering glare that would have had a saner man running for the hills. Instead, St. John just grinned.

"Don't get your grundies in a bunch, Rogue. You just smell so nice…"

Rogue rolled her eyes and suppressed a smile. Psycho though he may be, Rogue quite enjoyed working with the rambunctious Aussie. With him, there were no awkward silences (like those she often experienced with Piotr) or repressed sexual tension that always seemed to distract her from the task at hand. And even now, with the aforementioned Cajun nowhere in sight, Rogue could feel her heart beat just a bit faster and her breath catch in her throat as she pictured Remy in his uniform, which left very little to the imagination indeed.

_Stop it_, she silently berated herself. _Don't even go there. What would be the point?_

Shaking her head of the cynical thoughts, Rogue forced herself to focus on her surroundings. From their crouched position behind a large pile of wooden crates, she and St. John were concealed from prying eyes, but they were also completely blind. She had no idea if it was safe to move from their hiding spot or not and the bruises she retained from the last training session made her wary of trying something as reckless as just popping her head up to take a look.

Instead, Rogue closed her eyes and did her best to focus on nothing but the sounds around her. She could hear the dull hissing of fire (compliments of St. John's first attempt to destroy their unknown nemesis), the heavy breathing of her Australian partner (no doubt itching to finish what he'd started), and, finally, a clue. Heavy, approaching footsteps, fifteen, maybe twenty feet to their right.

St. John made to speak and Rogue clamped her free hand down on his mouth, shaking her head at his questioning gaze. She pointed to the origin of the sound and as St. John listened, he finally understood what was going on, turning serious for the first time since they'd begun the session.

As the footsteps moved past their hiding spot, the two Acolytes nodded at each other, and Rogue held her hand up, ready to signal their attack. She took a deep breath in, steadying herself.

Three. Two. One.

_Go!_

They rolled away from each other and split, St. John taking the frontal assault and Rogue the back. She stood from her crouched position and vaulted herself over the storage crates, landing with a thud behind her target, who froze at the sound. The smoke from the fire made it impossible for her to tell the person's identity, but it didn't hide the obvious trepidation in their stance. Rogue smirked and raised the rocket launcher, ready to fire.

"Gotcha."

She went to pull the trigger when the voice of the target froze all movement.

"Rogue?"

Her breath hitched in her throat and Rogue could feel her eyes widen in surprise. She _knew_ that voice. It'd haunted her dreams for the better part of two years. It was the reason she joined the X-men in the first place. And though she desperately pleaded that her instincts were wrong, when the figure turned around and the smoke began to clear, Rogue's fear was confirmed as the face of Scott Summers stared back at her.

"_Scott_."

Despite all that had happened to her, despite being tortured by Trask, despite the feelings she felt for Remy, she wasn't quite over her former leader. Holographic image or not, Cyclops still had some weird power over her and Rogue knew without a doubt that she wouldn't be able to complete this mission. Not in the way Magneto wanted, at least.

She lowered the rocket launcher and holo-Scott smiled. "It's not too late, you know. You can still come home. We miss you." He paused and began to fidget nervously. Rogue clenched her jaw, not liking one bit how real this all seemed. "I miss you."

"It's a little late for that," she answered shakily.

He took a step forward. "The Professor's been working on something that can negate your powers. He thinks it's almost ready for a field test. And, you know, I could help you try it out. If you want, that is."

Rogue sucked in a deep breath and looked over at St. John, who'd finally come out from his hiding place and was now leaning against the boxes. He was absentmindedly playing with the fire around him, but his amber eyes were locked on Rogue. He didn't make a move to destroy Scott and Rogue suddenly realized that this wasn't just another exercise in teamwork. It was a test. _Her_ test.

Looking away from St. John, she turned her attention back to the hologram before her. She knew what she had to do.

"What about Jean?" she asked and her voice cracked with emotion.

"You're the one that I want."

Rogue closed her eyes, trying to force herself to remain calm. But it was hard. So hard. All she'd ever wanted was Scott to choose her, to love her. Yet, hearing it now put everything into perspective. This was fake. He was fake. And the real Scott would never feel that way about her. And though it hurt for her to recognize this, to admit to herself that he'd always been a lost cause, she knew she had to do it. Accept it and move on. He wasn't her friend anymore and she began to wonder if he ever had been.

Had he ever truly liked her? Cared about her? Or had it all been some ploy to get her to join the X-men? Or worse, had it been pity? Pity that she couldn't touch, pity that she was an outcast even among outcasts. Rogue wasn't sure which one was worse.

When she finally opened her eyes again, he was standing before her, looking at her with such intensity through those quartz-covered eyes that it angered her. How many times had she dreamed of this very moment? Fantasized about him professing his undying love for her?

_God, I was such an idiot!_

But there would be plenty of time to beat herself up later. Right now, she knew what she had to do. Letting the rocket launcher fall to the floor, Rogue smiled up at him, faking the most besotted look she could manage.

"Really?" she breathed, distracting him long enough to slip off a glove unnoticed.

He nodded. "Really."

When Rogue raised her bare hand to his face, her only regret was that it was not the real Scott that stood before her.

"Ah'm sorry," Rogue muttered, unable to look at Magneto.

He studied her carefully from behind his desk in the debriefing room. "Why? You completed the mission."

"But Ah hesitated."

"As I expected you would."

She chanced a glance at her new boss, surprised at his words, and was shocked to find a rather pleased look on his face. "What do ya mean?"

"It is no secret you harbor deep feelings for Mr. Summers."

Rogue felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment. "Not anymore," she mumbled.

Magneto quirked an eyebrow at this, but ignored her statement otherwise. "Had you simply fired off the launcher, I would have known you weren't ready to fight with us. But, seeing that recreation of him made this all a reality for you, didn't it?"

Rogue opened her mouth, ready to argue that she had known what she was getting into from the get go, but suddenly paused and took time to consider what Magneto had said. Was he right? Had she truly understood the weight of her actions until now?

Leaving the X-men in anger was one thing, but now that her bitterness towards them was fading, now that she'd had three weeks to think over what had happened with Trask and the Sentinels, she was beginning to recognize that perhaps there _had been_ no other choice. And maybe, just maybe, the X-men's retreat was, tactically speaking, the best move after all.

_And this was the best move for me. _

Her decision to join the Acolytes had been rash and driven by her emotions. But, looking back on it all, it didn't matter. She finally felt at home somewhere. Gone were the days when she had to hide her cynicism and doubt in Xavier's cause. Here, there was no foolish optimism and talks about hope for the future. Magneto, though most assuredly not as kind and compassionate as Xavier, treated her like an adult, a courtesy the senior X-men had never bestowed upon her before. Except for Logan.

But Rogue immediately stopped that train of thought. Thinking about Wolverine was dangerous territory. Because even though Rogue knew now more than ever that she'd made the right choice, she still missed Logan so fiercely sometimes that her heart ached. And there was no time for that now, when it finally seemed like everything was falling into place.

"Yeah," she replied, completely sure of her answer. "It did."

"And you understand that this is not a game? That I will ask you to do things that you will not like and, in the future, I will expect you to do them without hesitation?"

Rogue could feel a knot forming in her stomach as a new and terrible question rose within her mind. "Will ya ever ask me to kill one of them?"

Magneto was silent for a moment and Rogue could not take her eyes off of him. She knew she'd have to fight the X-men and that was something she'd accepted. But to kill one of them… Rogue honestly didn't think she had it in her.

"It seems unlikely," Magneto answered hesitantly. "As I told you once before, Rogue, my concern above all else is mutantkind. And, despite his very misguided beliefs, Charles and I were once friends. I can only guarantee that if I were to ever ask something so drastic of you, it would be because there was no other choice."

Rogue merely nodded her head, not sure what to say. Thankfully, Magneto seemed satisfied with that and instead turned his attention to Piotr, who was sitting in the back of the room with the rest of the Acolytes (save for Sabertooth, who Rogue had yet to see since arriving).

"Colossus, if you would."

Looking at the towering Russian who silently made his way to the front, Rogue was surprised to see he had a rather long box in his hands.

_Where did that come from?_

He placed it on the table beside Magneto, who rose from his chair and waved Piotr off before motioning for Rogue to come join him. She did so, her curiosity outweighing the nervousness she felt.

"I feel you are finally ready for battle. As such, I had this made for you."

Timidly, Rogue opened the box and gasped at the contents inside. It was her very own Acolyte uniform, a dark green and yellow catsuit that would not doubt mold to every curve and cover her from head to toe. A pair of black combat boots and a utility belt were in the box as well, but Rogue ignored them temporarily and picked up her new uniform. The material was obviously some sort of spandex blend, but she could already tell it was much stronger and, knowing Magneto, probably flame retardant. She couldn't help but smile. It was perfect.

"I expect you to wear that to training from now on."

Rogue nodded. "Thank ya."

"Pyro and Colossus will take you to the armory so that you can complete the outfit. Gambit, stay behind. I have a matter to discuss with you."

Packing up her uniform, Rogue joined Piotr and St. John, who was grinning like the Cheshire cat.

"Ain't no escaping us now, sheila. Now, let's go have a Captain Cook at the weapons while these blokes have a yabber, eh?"

Rogue shook her head and followed the two out, flashing a small smile at Remy as she went. But, instead of his usual flirty grin, he merely stared at her, a stony and unreadable look in his eyes. She stopped for a moment, disturbed by the coldness radiating off the normally warm Cajun. But as she went to ask him what was wrong, Remy LeBeau effectively cut her off by slamming the door in her face, leaving Rogue with her mouth hanging open.

_What the hell was that all about?_

Remy stood still for a moment, glaring at the door as if he could still see Rogue with that befuddled expression on her face. It annoyed him to no end that she could seem so oblivious to what was upsetting him when it should have been painfully obvious. For the past three weeks, he'd been shamelessly flirting with her and she, in her own strange and backwards way, had flirted back. But seeing her in the training room, practically drooling over that pansy-ass Cyclops, had snapped something in him.

_Mon Dieu, I've been such an idiot!_

Before the whole Trask incident, Gambit had watched the X-men for weeks. It'd been what Magneto contracted him for in the first place. And, though he did study each of Xavier's students meticulously, learning their weaknesses and strengths, he'd always paid special attention to Rogue. She was different from the others. Jaded and cautious, constantly questioning everyone and everything, never taking anything at face value. The thief in him respected that, but the man was desperately intrigued.

Until he saw her with Scott Summers. Around the leader of the X-men, the fiery and rebellious Southerner that had enraptured New Orleans' most wanted was reduced to little more than a stuttering schoolgirl. It sickened Remy and he'd proceeded to cross her out of his book.

But then, he rescued her from Project Wideawake. And holding the girl he'd examined so carefully, feeling her shake in his arms and look up at him with such guarded emerald eyes, he'd forgotten everything but the desire to protect her. And kiss her, of course, but he'd ignored that urge at the time, recognizing the present danger they were in.

He'd been foolish to forget, of course; stupid to think she could have gotten over Summers so quickly. But he had hoped and for that he cursed himself. He'd sworn not to get too involved, but that was exactly what had happened. He'd gotten lost in her charms, her laughter, the sway of her hips. But seeing her with Cyclops had brought him back to reality and now he was reminded of all the reasons why they shouldn't, couldn't, be together.

"Take a seat, Gambit. That is, of course, if you're done glaring at the door."

_Oui_, Remy thought bitterly. _I'm done_.

He took a seat in one of the hard-back chairs in front of Magneto's desk and considered the man before him carefully. To the untrained eye, the leader of the Acolytes looked as dangerous and unwavering as ever. But Remy's talents of observations allowed him to see past the façade and straight into the heart of the weary man before him.

"Y' all right boss?"

He sighed and slipped Remy a manila envelope across the desk. "The authorities have captured Pietro, though my sources tell me it was Wanda's doing."

Remy flipped through the pictures and files in the envelope, quickly memorizing the transport times for the unit housing Quicksilver. "And yo' want Remy t' rescue _ton fils_, _oui_?"

"Not exactly," was Magneto's cryptic answer.

The Master of Magnetism reached into his desk and pulled out a handful of files, splaying them on top so that Remy could get a good look. The Cajun Thief stared back at his boss in disbelief.

"_Them?_ Y' trust dose… _debiles_ with dis?"

"You will contact Mr. Alvers and inform him that I am extending the Brotherhood an invitation to join our ranks," Magneto said, clearly ignoring Remy's outburst. "If they can prove themselves worthy. Of course, the test will be the safe return of Pietro."

"And y' think dey've got a chance in hell?"

Magneto let out a harsh laugh. "No. But they will provide _you_ with an excellent distraction to slip in unnoticed and complete the job. And, pending their failure, you will tell them I require some changes before they can join the Acolytes."

"Which Quicksilver will oversee, _hein_?"

Magneto nodded. "Exactly."

Remy stared at the pictures of the Brotherhood with obvious distaste before shrugging his shoulders and standing. "_Bien_. When'd y' want Remy t' take care o' dis?"

"Tomorrow. As soon as their classes let out."

"Done."

Remy swiped the manila folder and made to leave, more than ready to work out his aggression in the training room, preferably with a Cyclops shaped punching bag.

"And Gambit? Take Rogue with you. I'd like to know how she does in the field."

He paused, grimacing at the thought, before curtly nodding and exiting the room.

_Fuck_.

**A/N: Hello! Yes, I'm finally back. And before everyone starts to throw rotten food at me, let me apologize for my ridiculously long absence. If you want the explanation of why I was in the hospital so long (Brandi said she mentioned I was out of commission), I've included it at the bottom of this page. And apologies if this chapter is not completely up to par with the others. I wasn't really satisfied with it, but thought I'd kept you waiting long enough. The Vicodin makes my head a bit cloudy so please excuse any discrepancies.**

**For everyone else, a few notes on this chapter…**

**Don't freak out just yet! I know it seems bad, but have a little faith. I'm not promising everything will work out perfectly in the end (how dull would that be if I gave away the ending?) but all is not lost!**

**Also, the reason behind Remy's disgust with Rogue's infatuation with Cyclops will be revealed later. So if that seems a bit extreme, just give it time and it will all start to make sense.**

**And, lastly, to my wonderful reviewers: thank you thank you thank you! I've officially past the 100 reviews marker (and after only four chapters!!). And ****Gone**** currently is on the alert list of 65 people, has been favorited (okay, not really a word but who cares) 23 times, and is mentioned in 2 c2 communities! I'm so touched/flattered/honored that I can't even begin to describe it. Thank you so much to everyone who's reviewed and added ****Gone**** (or me) to their list of favs/alerts. **

**I was also talking to Brandi (who is now addicted to fanfic – though unfortunately not X-men: Evolution) and she pointed out that the percentage system (you know, where I update 2 days later if 10 of people review) might be a bit unreliable (since some people might be clicking more than once), so I'm changing that rule around. Instead of 10 of readers reviewing, let's shoot for 30 reviews a chapter (since that seems to be the average). If 30 of you review within 48 hours, I'll update the next chapter immediately. Scouts honor. And, as always, review responses are on my profile page.**

**Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! I can't wait to hear your thoughts!**

**French Translations:**

_Ton fils: _Your son

_Debiles:_ Morons

**And, for those of you who are really curious, here's what happened:**

**About two months ago, I got hit by a drunk driver. My car was totaled and I had to have some surgery. Everything seemed to be going okay (which is how I was able to write chapter 4), but then I ended up getting a nasty infection from the surgery and everything just went down from there. **

**But, I'm feeling much much better now. And am on the road to recovery so never fear! I'm a little worse for wear, but that which doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right? (Hey, it's in a Kanye West song so it must be true!) **


	6. Meet It Head On

It was raining

_It was raining. Hard and relentless. Freezing bullets that penetrated past the skin and into the delicate bits that should have been protected by muscle and bone, but for some reason weren't. Or perhaps they were. Perhaps the rain was just so powerful that it didn't matter. But then, why didn't all of her organs hurt? Why was it only one in particular? Rogue didn't know. The only thing she knew for certain was that it was raining._

_But that did nothing to conceal the tears running down her son's face. _

_He'd tried to hide his sadness, tried to look like the brave little soldier she'd raised him to be, but he failed miserably. He always failed. Just like his sister. And it bothered Rogue. It bothered her to no end. _

_Not that he failed. No, that she could deal with. What _really _bothered her was that it mattered. In the field she'd chosen, it had to matter. There was no room for mistakes, not when this operation was so delicate, so new. Not when so many other things were riding on the success of this venture. _

_As she watched her daughter get carted away by the men in white coats, Rogue felt a swell of hatred rise within her chest. Hatred for them and the love they would deny her daughter. Hatred for the world that had forced her hand. And, above all else, hatred for herself. _

_What she was doing was necessary if all was to go according to plan. But that didn't mean she had to like it. And it didn't mean she wouldn't despise herself forever for letting it happen. No, for _making_ it happen. _

_She could feel her son's eyes drift away from his sister (whose screams died out as soon as the metal doors slammed shut) and stare up at her, the only family he had left. But she couldn't look down. Couldn't face the accusations in his eyes. _

_Rogue wanted to so badly to reach out to him, to explain it had to be done. They couldn't keep her around, not when every time she got upset their whole base went nuts, cords flying everywhere, machines turning on them. Thousands upon thousands of dollars and too much time, wasted._

_She could hear the light footsteps of the approaching Raven Darkholme and grimaced. As much as she abhorred working with the shapeshifter, Rogue couldn't deny her abilities. And in a time when allies were scarce indeed, Rogue could use all the help she could get._

"_We should be going," came the controlled voice._

_Rogue nodded and motioned for Pietro to follow Mystique back to the car. The boy hesitated and Rogue finally gathered her courage and looked down at him. _

"_Father? Are you going to send me away too?"_

_She felt her throat constrict and could barely form an answer. How could she explain this to him? How could she tell her seven year-old son that she'd only done what she had to? That Wanda was too much of a risk to have around when she had the entire mutant race to think of? _

"_Just go back to the car, Pietro. You'll understand when you're older."_

_Pietro listened, but Rogue knew her words had been a lie. He would never understand. Wanda would never understand. No one would. No one would get that sometimes you must sacrifice a few to save them all. They would simply view her as a heartless bitch. But it was a necessary evil. She was sure of it. _

_And yet, as Pietro walked with Mystique to the car, this surety did not stop Rogue from feeling like her heart was breaking irreparably. The terror in her daughter's screams, the fear in her son's eyes, and the hatred she held for herself, it did something to her. Something not even the loss of her beloved Magda had._

_She was no longer afraid of the future. No longer terrified of what might come from the unavoidable war between humans and mutants._

_After all, how do you kill someone who is already dead?_

* * *

"_Pour l'amour de_- Rogue! Have y' been paying attention t' anything Remy's said?"

Shaking her head of the still vivid memory she'd visited last night, Rogue tried to focus her attention on the impatient Cajun standing before her.

"Sorry, Remy. Had a rough night Ah guess."

She looked up at him and was surprised by the anger in his eyes. They stared at her, accusing, as if she'd committed some horrible travesty she wasn't aware of, which only confused her further. Rogue ran over everything she'd done in the last twenty-four hours, trying to come up any possible reason for the Cajun's foul temper, but came up empty.

_He better stop glaring at me like that or I'm gonna give him something to be mad about!_

"Like Remy was saying, all we're doing is delivering a message, _comprends_?"

"Ah hear ya, Cajun. Now can we get going already? It takes forty minutes to get there and we've only got thirty."

Remy raised an eyebrow at this and smirked, mounting his motorcycle and tossing Rogue a helmet in the process. "We'll see 'bout dat."

Rogue climbed on behind him and shifted uncomfortably in the too small seat. There wasn't enough room to put even an inch in between them and the feeling of his tight abs beneath her fingers was doing absolutely nothing to help her concentration. She took a deep breath in and tried to steady herself, but as soon as Remy revved the engine and took off, Rogue was forced to crush herself even tighter against the Cajun.

As her heart sped up and her breathing shallowed, Rogue knew it had nothing to do with her partner's driving (which was bordering on reckless even for _her_).

_I'm so screwed_.

* * *

_Get in, deliver the message, get out. Get in, deliver the message, get out. Get in—oh fuck it all to hell. This isn't working! _

Try as he might, nothing was able to tear Remy's attention away from the feel of Rogue's fingers gripping his stomach. Or the way her chest brushed up against his. Or the waves of heat and emotion that crashed against him as they sped down the highway.

It was all turning out to be one spectacular mess. Remy tried to remember that he was mad at her, that she shouldn't have this effect on him. Hell, _no woman_ should be able to get him so flustered this easily! But when he took a particularly sharp turn and Rogue clung even tighter to him, her thighs spasming against his own, Gambit couldn't help the rush of blood the flooded his nether regions.

He wanted to close his eyes, wanted to screech the bike to a halt and demand to know how it was she could affect him so easily, wanted to just forget the girl sitting behind him. But he couldn't do any of those things. He had to focus on the task at hand.

_Merde, LeBeau! You were trained better than this! What would ton père say?_

That helped to clear his mind a bit. Or at least clear it of thoughts of Rogue. New ones sprang to mind, much more painful ones. The disappointment in Jean-Luc's eyes. The tears that coursed down Mercy's face as she bid him a last farewell. His final embrace with his brother. False promises to write when they all knew it forbidden.

The wind whipped against his face and brought back memories from another night. A far more deadly night. The one that had ruined his life.

A white dress splattered with red. A man with blonde hair lying at the foot of the altar. Gunshots. Crying. His feet pounding down the hallways. Bullets whizzing past his ears. A sword in his hands he didn't recall using. And then a voice that rose above all the noise, freezing the very blood in his veins.

"_Julien. Mon Dieu, no! Remy! Get back here, Remy! REMY!"_

"Remy!"

He shook himself from the memory in time to swerve to the right and just barely make the exit to Bayville High.

* * *

"Next time, Ah drive."

Remy cocked an eyebrow at Rogue as they climbed off his bike. "Nobody drives Remy's bike but Remy."

"Then don't drive it like a maniac! Were you trying to kill us?!" Rogue snapped, crossing her arms underneath her chest and not even bothering to conceal her temper.

_First he's an asshole, now he's a psycho. God! He has more mood swings then I do!_

He ignored her outburst, walking past her to lean up against the tree in front of the school entrance, looking as calm as could be as he pulled out a pack of cards and started to shuffle them mindlessly.

_Oh, that's it!_

Rogue stomped up to her partner and wrenched the cards out of his hand, flinging them everywhere in a fit of fury and pointing a finger into his chest. Hard.

"Listen here, Cajun. You've been a right asshole this past day and what I want to know is _what the__ fuck__ is your problem_?"

Eyes blazing, Remy took a step forward, forcing Rogue to counter with a step back. "Watch it, _cherie_. Y' pushing y' luck."

"_Ah'm_ pushing my luck?! You're the one who's—"

But she didn't get to finish. Because at that exact moment, Remy's eyes widened considerably and his gloved hand flew up to silence her. Rogue made to protest, putting her own hands against his chest in an attempt to throw him off, but he was too quick. Remy spun her around, switching their positions, before pushing her flush up against the tree, throwing his arm behind her head to prevent an injury.

"Quiet," he hissed. "Let Remy handle dis, _oui_?"

Rogue nodded reluctantly, though in all honestly she had no clue what he was talking about. Apparently, Remy was satisfied with her answer though, because he turned around, standing directly in front of her, his stance as such to hide her from view of the approaching person whose footsteps she could just barely make out.

"_Bonjour_."

"Perfect. I was so looking for a fight."

_Lance!_

"What, that thrashing Gambit gave you last time wasn't enough?"

Rogue rolled her eyes. _He's just got to give him a hard time. Men._

"Let's see how well you do without Magneto watching your back."

Supressing a smirk, Rogue wondered silently what Lance would think if he knew that this time, Remy had _her_ watching his back. She doubted the Brotherhood had been informed of her change of heart. After all, it wasn't like they were on friendly terms with the X-men. Especially not after it was revealed that Mystique had been posing as the Professor for a spell, something Magneto had been considerate enough to inform her of.

_Considerate?_ She internally snorted. _More like adding fuel to the hatred I already feel for her. Not that it's necessary._

She watched as Lance lunged forward and grabbed Remy's trench coat. Honestly, she was surprised that Remy let him, seeing as how the Cajun was much faster than Lance. And far more skilled. Though, she supposed, it was all a play. Trying to keep Lance's attention focused on him and keep the earth shaker from realizing Rogue's presence. Though why she couldn't even begin to guess.

With ease, Remy detached himself from Lance and reached up towards the tree, grabbing one of the leaves and lazily charging it up.

"Round up those jokes you call friends and meet Gambit at your place."

Rogue didn't have to see Lance's face to know he'd have a look of extreme skepticism etched on it. "Why?"

"Because now that you're out of school, you'll be taking a _real_ test."

As Remy blew the charged bits of leaf in Lance's face, there was a significant pause in which Rogue knew Lance was weighing his options. With Mystique gone (captured by the military, so Magneto had told her), the Brotherhood had no real leader. And seeing as how Lance hated Scott more than he could ever possibly hate Magneto…

"Forget it. We're sick of being used."

As he walked off, Rogue inched out from behind Remy, watching Lance's retreating back. "He's lying," she said. "Lance knows they need to join up with somebody, what with Mystique out of the picture and all."

"_Je suis d'accord_. What's say we head him off, _hein_?"

Remy had already started walking off towards the bike before she had a chance to reply. Rolling her eyes, Rogue had no choice but to follow.

_You ain't getting off the hook that easily, Cajun. You and I are gonna have a talk real soon._

Distracted by their thoughts, neither southerner noticed one Kitty Pryde staring after them as they walked off.

"_Rogue_."

* * *

"Wait here, he says. Gawd, why in the hell did he even bring me along if I'm not going to _do_ anything."

Rogue was sitting outside the Brotherhood house, leaning against Remy's bike, feeling absolutely useless. She didn't get it. She just didn't get it. Why did Remy keep refusing to let her help? She was ready, damnit! And it wasn't like this was going to be a particularly hard mission anyway. It was just the Brotherhood!

As soon as she felt the ground start to shake and heard a large BOOM, Rogue threw her hands up in the air and decided enough was enough. She was not going to sit out here and do nothing. And Remy could just suck it.

Sneaking around to the back, Rogue crept in through the kitchen door and walked to the living room just in time to see Remy charge up Toad and raise a threatening hand to keep Lance at bay.

"Back off! Gambit let's go and you'll be repainting this room. So let's talk."

Toad laughed nervously. "Talking's good. Talking's great. We hate painting."

"All right," Lance said. "It's your show."

"No. It's Magneto's show."

"Uh, hey—hey. Do you think could, uh—let me, uh—"

Rogue took a deep breath. Now was as good of a time as any. "And y'all better listen to what he says cause he's offering ya a chance to be in the big leagues now."

Everyone whipped their heads around to stare at her, even Remy, whose eyes widened in anger at her intrusion. Doing her best to ignore him, Rogue faced the Brotherhood members. She'd been one of them once and knew just how they thought. Best to keep it simple and emphasize how this would benefit them.

"Rogue?!"

She nodded at her former teammate. "Hi Lance."

"What are _you_ doing here?"

"Didn't the X-men tell ya?" she asked, doing her best to put up a confident front.

"Tell us what?"

Rogue rolled her eyes at Blob, who _still_ hadn't gotten up from the floor. "Ah'm an Acolyte now."

"A what?!"

"No way, yo!"

"I don't believe this."

Ignoring Toad and Blob's outbursts, Rogue tried to focus in on Lance. He was the one she'd have to convince. "Well believe it, sugar."

There was silence for a moment. She could see Lance sizing her up. He took in everything from her new uniform to the surety in her eyes. Once a long time ago, they'd been friends. They'd even trusted to each other to an extent, sharing some of their secrets. And Rogue was banking on that now, hoping to God that Lance would remember the confidences they'd shared and trust her just a bit. It was all she needed.

"Why?"

"Let's face it, Lance. Mystique's gone and ya don't know if or when she's coming back. Ya need someone looking out for ya. And no matter what else Magneto might be, he's dedicated to helping mutants."

"I didn't think you believed in all that crap."

Rogue paused for a moment. "Me neither. But stuff's happened and Ah—Ah can't ignore it any longer. Magneto's right. Hell, to an extent Mystique was right. But see the difference between the two of them is this: Mystique doesn't give a flying fuck about anyone but herself. But Magneto…"

"You think he's right?"

Rogue shrugged. "Ah don't know, Lance. But the way Ah see it, he's the only one really looking out for us. Not humans, not himself, just us. That's gotta count for something, don't it?"

She locked eyes with Lance and for one tense minute, no one said a thing. Rogue could almost see the wheels in his head turning and she could only hope they were going in the right direction.

"He's giving y' a chance t' prove y'self," Remy said.

Rogue looked over at him and was surprised to see that his eyes were not focused on Lance, but rather on her. She couldn't read the emotion in them, however, because the moment Rogue began to focus on Remy, he turned his gaze back to Lance.

"And trust Gambit," he continued. "Y' do _not_ want t' turn de _homme_ down."

"He's right," Rogue agreed. "Ya might not get another chance."

There was a moment of hesitation and then, surprisingly, it was Blob that answered first. "Okay. What's he want us to do?"

"Piece o' cake really. Just bust loose a captured mutant."

Rogue could feel her breath hitch in her throat. _And now comes the hard part_.

"G-great," Toad stuttered. "And, oh, by the way—could you…"

Almost absentmindedly, Remy uncharged the curtain he had the smaller mutant trapped in and spun him out so that he landed hard on Blob's belly. She did her best to ignore all of this, however, as Lance chose that moment to turn to her. The moment she saw the look in his eyes, she felt like breathing a sigh of relief. He was sold. No matter what she said next, he'd do it. Because he knew she was right.

"So whose Magneto got in mind?"

Rogue went to answer him, but Remy beat her to it.

"Your old friend. Pietro."

* * *

"Scott! Scott!"

Forcing himself not bang his head against his locker, Scott Summers turned patiently towards the approaching Kitty Pryde. It'd been one hell of a day as it was and the last thing he needed was another crisis.

_Why can't people just understand?_

"What is it, Kitty?"

The valley girl screeched to a halt in front of him, out of breath and leaning against the lockers for support. "I saw _her_—and then _him_—and I like have no idea what it meant but—"

"Woah, woah. Slow down. Who did you see?"

Taking in a calming breath, Kitty started again. "One of Magneto's new guys was talking to Lance, or like, I _think_ he was talking to Lance. I only got there towards the end, because, you know, I was running late to six period because some stupid—"

"Kitty! Focus!"

"Oh right! Sorry! Anyway, Lance stormed off all in a huff and then, like, that guy stepped to the side and there she was! And then they both walked off in the same direction Lance had, so I think—"

"Kitty, who was with the Acolyte?"

Biting her lip, Kitty looked up nervously at her leader, wondering what would happen now. "Rogue."

Scott didn't say anything for a second. Not that Kitty was surprised. He hadn't said anything about Rogue since Mr. Logan had told them she'd joined up with the Acolytes. In fact, if someone even so much as _mentioned_ her, Scott was liable to bite their head off. He'd almost taken it as hard as Mr. Logan and Kurt. Almost.

"Um… Scott? What should we do?"

He stared down at her and even through his quartz sunglasses, Kitty could see the fierceness in his eyes. "We follow them."

* * *

Rogue and Remy made it to their destination in record time. Begrudgingly, Rogue had to admit that no matter how insane Remy was as a driver, he knew what he was doing. They were able to hide the bike, set up on one of the more secure ledges, and _still_ had at least another ten minutes before the Brotherhood showed up.

Rogue grabbed a mini pair of binochulars from her utility belt and tried to get a good look at their surroundings, mentally marking all of the obstacles that could be used to their advantage if they had to go in and save the day at the last minute.

_Which, knowing the Brotherhood, is a good possibility_.

"We need t' talk."

Rogue turned to her teammate, their earlier argument still not forgotten. "Ah'll say. Ya wanna explain ta me what's ya—"

"Don't _ever_ undermine Remy's authority like dat again, _d'accord_?"

Rogue could feel her jaw drop in shock. "_Excuse me?!"_

"Y' heard Remy. Dis is _my_ mission, _my_ rules. Y' do as _I _say."

If Rogue hadn't been so furious at his words, she might have taken a moment to consider it was the first time he'd used the first person with her. But, as it stood, none of that mattered to her at the moment.

"Listen here, _Gambit_, Ah'll start listening to ya rules when _you_ start acting like a leader!"

"_Fils de salope_… Remy should have never brought y' on dis mission."

"Yeah, well, then why did ya?"

"Cause de boss man made me! _Bien sûr_, if Remy'd known y'd act like such _une conasse_—"

Rogue had no idea what possessed her just then. She didn't even remember raising her hand, but suddenly it was flying through the air and had slapped Remy across the face. So hard, in fact, that it left an immediate red mark that almost matched the fury in his eyes. They remained silent for what seemed like an eternity, neither southerner willing to give the other one ground, until Rogue decided to throw all caution to the wind.

She reached out, grabbing a hold of Remy's coat, and hauling him closer to her than she'd ever willingly brought another human being since the manifestation of her powers.

"Ah'm only gonna ask ya one more time. And then, Ah'm taking the answer whether ya like it or not. _What the fuck's your problem?_"

**A/N: So there it is, chapter six. I hope you all enjoyed it and I'm sorry for the wait. I don't usually go on FFN that often when I'm writing stories (distracts me from finishing my own), so I rely on the automated alerts to let me know when I get reviews. Alas, when it rains it pours and I didn't get **_**any**_** of the alerts until yesterday. But, I've contacted the admins so that shouldn't happen again. **

**So sorry for making you wait! And, to make it up to all of you wonderful, fabulous, stupendously dedicated (yes I'm sucking up) readers and reviewers, I guarantee an update on Tuesday regardless of whether or not we reach the review goal (of course, I hope you all review anyway because it makes writing so much more fun knowing people out there enjoy my work). **

**On a more story related note, I found it quite interesting that most of you thought that Remy's reaction to Rogue's crush on Scott was jealousy. And, while our favorite Cajun may have been feeling a bit of the green monster, let me just clear the air and say that was **_**not**_** the main reason for his anger. You'll find out what **_**was**_** in the next chapter. **

**As always, review responses are in my profile. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! Oh, and on a side note, if anyone out there is artistically inclined and would like to draw an Evo style Rogue in this costume (the picture of which is in my forum… it's a bit different than her Uncanny uniform), I would be much appreciated and would **_**definitely**_** give out a special prize!**

**And, one last thing: thanks so much to everyone who expressed concern about my accident. I was, and am, truly touched. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.**

Translations:

_Merde: _shit

_Ton Pere:_ your father

_Mon Dieu:_ My God

_Cherie:_ Dear

_Oui:_ Yes

_Bonjour_: Hello

_Je suis d'accord:_ I agree

_Homme:_ Man

_Fils de salope_: Son of a bitch

_Bien Sur:_ Of course

_Une Conasse:_ A bitch


	7. Foolish

Remy LeBeau had always considered himself a well-composed man. Having grown up first on the streets and then in a house full of thieves, it was damn near a requirement. He'd learned at a very early age that visible emotions were a visible weakness, one the enemy would most assuredly take advantage of. And so, for his own self-preservation, Remy rarely showed the world anything other than arrogance, charm, and determination.

But, in all actuality, Remy LeBeau's emotions ran much deeper than people knew. He felt fear. Anger. Hate. Guilt. Sorrow. Joy. And, the most terrifying of all, love. And in the twenty-two years he'd been alive, only one person had been able to bring all of those emotions out of him in the most unwelcome of ways. It had frightened him beyond belief, turned him into little more than a sniveling child.

And now it was happening again. The torrent of emotions, the frantic beating of his heart. Remy felt like he was being swept away by something bigger than himself, something he could never control. And it was worse than last time. Because now, even after living through the horrors of all these things before, Remy knew a part of him wanted to give in. Wanted to simply allow himself to be swept up in the wave and pray to God above that this time would be different.

It was that fact alone that made Remy realize he could not do it. He couldn't give in, no matter what, because these sorts of things never ended well. At least not for him. But looking into Rogue's eyes made it all so difficult. Even with the fury blazing in them, Remy felt himself drowning. Falling deeper, faster.

_Non! Not again. Jamais encore!_

He could feel his heart begin to pound at an unbelievable rate and it felt like a stampeding herd was trying to burst through his chest. There were so many emotions, so many thoughts. It was overwhelming. Too much! He couldn't deal with it anymore.

Remy felt as if the world was crashing in on him. And with so much internal conflict, there was only one answer that seemed to make sense. Only one way to satisfy the warring voices in his head. It was the coward's way out, but that was nothing new to him.

Without another thought, Remy closed the short distance between himself and Rogue, crashing his lips down upon hers. And for one moment, one blissful, tingling moment, nothing happened.

Then, for better or for worse, it began.

* * *

"_Out o' the way, y' filthy beggar."_

_She smirked and complied with the elder man's order, bowing as condescendingly as possible as the men swept past. He wouldn't notice for at least another couple blocks that his pockets were much lighter and that suited Rogue just fine. Plenty of time to lose herself within the Big Easy's narrow and twisted alleyways. _

_She made to leave, to slink back in the shadows and disappear like the insignificant mutt everyone saw her as, but her feet froze as a most unusual sound drifted to her ears. It was a far cry from the usual shouting of tourists and beeping of car horns. In fact, it sounded almost… heavenly. Like a symphony of angelic bells or some other such rot Father Stern was always going on about in mass. _

_And, though Rogue knew she should sprint away, take her prize and go, she just couldn't resist the almost magnetic pull of that sound. She was drawn to it, like a moth to a flame, and when her feet turned in the opposite direction and began chasing that sound, Rogue knew she'd have it no other way. _

If curiosity killed the cat, it's only cause he wasn't quick enough.

_Down the street she ran, past vendors and businessmen, all staring after her as if she were the wildest thing they ever saw in the French Quarter. And perhaps she was, but it was of little consequence to Rogue. She was a woman on a mission, damnit, and nothing was going to stop her._

_The sound started to grow louder and Rogue pushed her body even harder, shoving past people as if possessed, desperate to get to the origin of such harmonious beauty. And then, as she turned the corner, she stopped dead in her tracks, mouth open and red on black eyes bulging at what she saw._

Mon Dieu.

_She was beautiful_!_ No, she was more than that. She was a goddess, the immortal Aphrodite descended from Mount Olympus and walking amongst mortals without a care in the world. Her honey blonde hair floated behind her like spun silk, swept back from her angelic face by a simple pink ribbon. Her sun kissed skin peaked out from beneath a rich blue dress, taunting Rogue with its perfection._

_And when the little goddess turned around, Rogue found she was much closer than she'd anticipated. Her Aphrodite had been laughing and dancing, catching little drops of chocolate that fell from the ice cream cone in her hands, and the movement brought the two face to face. _

_Rogue was rooted to the ground and rendered speechless at the cornflower blue eyes staring back at her. Her heart was pounding wildly in her chest in a most painful manner and oh how she would have given anything to be able to run just then! She felt dirty for the first time in her life. Unworthy to look upon the goddess before her._

_Aphrodite just cocked her head to the side and continued to lick the chocolate off the cone. "Hello. What's y' name?"_

She's speaking to me! _She's _speaking to _me!_ _Merde_. Say something! Don't just stand here like _un fou!_

"_Uh – I…Um—"_

_She giggled and Rogue silently wondered if it were possible to be in love as a seven year old. "Y' funny. And y' eyes are _très étrange. _Where'd y' get 'em from?"_

"_Bella! _Revenez ici!"

_The goddess rolled her eyes and shouted back at the yellow-haired boy who'd called to her. "_Tenez sur, _Julien!" She turned back to Rogue, a mischievous smile on her face. "I got t' go, but I'll be back, _d'accord_?" _

_Finally, when Aphrodite (or was it Bella?) turned to leave, Rogue found the will to speak. "_Attente_! How will y' find me?"_

_Bella, Aphrodite, whoever she was, licked the ice cream cone one more time before handing it over to her. "I have my ways. See y' around, _mon diable blanc."

_As she flounced away, Rogue stared after her, watching until she disappeared into one of the many shops of the French Quarter. Looking down at the object in her hands, Rogue took a taste of remains, wishing against all hope that it would bring her one step closer to her earth-bound goddess._

_It didn't even matter that she hated chocolate._

* * *

"_Bella," she whispered, pulling the honey-haired beauty closer to her. _

_Rogue leaned down to kiss her lover, which was always somewhat awkward because of the ten-inch difference in height as well as Bella's refusal to stand on her toes and make things easier. But that didn't matter to Rogue. _

_Bella's unrelenting stubbornness, her demands that everything always be exactly perfect so as to best suit her, it all just made her even more of a goddess in Rogue's eyes. More worthy of worship and adoration. Which Rogue was more than willing to show her._

_She stooped down more, letting her hands glide gently over the assassin's hips before roughly pulling them against her own. Bella hissed and yanked on Rogue's hair and, though pain really wasn't her thing, making her goddess happy was. So what if she got a little bruised in the process?_

_Hoisting Bella into the air, Rogue crushed her against the wall and continued the assault, kissing her lips, her neck, her chest, anything and everything that she could. When she lightly nipped Bella's ear, the deadly goddess bucked her hips, and Rogue almost lost in then and there._

_Her movements became more frantic and so did Bella's. Pulling, scratching, biting, tearing. The more violent she became, the more aroused she was, and the more aroused the insatiable assassin was, the closer it brought Rogue to the edge._

_And when she finally felt as if she were on the brink of insanity, when the need to be inside her lover was too much, Rogue reached down and unzipped Bella's pants with expert hands, only to be thwarted by the goddess herself._

"_Non, Remy. We can't."_

"_Why?" she asked. Close, so close._

"_Y' know why. I'm saving it fo' marriage."_

_Rogue groaned and set Bella back on the ground, her chest still heaving and her mind vaguely wondering why it was Bella could always seem so calm and composed. "Remy'll marry y'. If y' only let him."_

_Bella smiled, but Rogue knew it was more patronizing than anything else. "Y' know _mon pere's_ tried t' convince Jean-Luc t' wed us, but he won't hear o' it."_

"_Remy'll convince him. No matter what it takes."_

_Those blue eyes sparkled strangely and Rogue could not help but be reminded of the Mona Lisa. It was like a million secrets were hidden behind those eyes. Secrets Rogue would do anything to find out. _

"_Y' mean it?"_

"Oui, ma déesse."

"_Den I await dat day with baited breath." She purred. _

_Bella pressed one last bewitching kiss against her lips before slipping out of the abandoned warehouse and into the fading night. _

_She was left, alone, heart pounding, head spinning, like a crack addict without their fix. Sinking to the ground, Rogue could only utter a single word._

"_Fuck."_

* * *

"Non! Absolument pas!"

"Pere—_"_

"_I said no, Remy!" _

_They'd been at this for an hour. Rogue tried her best to convince her headstrong adoptive father that the marriage between her and Belladonna would be for the best. But every time she made a decent point, Jean-Luc would vehemently interject, hardly giving her a chance at all. It was beyond infuriating._

"_Will y' just _listen _fo'_ une seconde_?"_

_Jean-Luc glared at her in a way that would have had any other thief begging for forgiveness. But Rogue refused to stand down. She was right. She _knew_ she was right! This marriage would unite the Guilds, put an end to this ridiculous war. And she would be able to marry the woman she loved. Where was the bad?_

"_Dere ain't nothing t' discuss, boy. Y' thinking with y' _bite_, not y' head. And I won't let y' destroy dis Guild just t' satisfy y' urges!"_

"_It ain't like dat!" Rogue screamed. "We're in love!"_

_Jean-Luc laughed, short and bitter. He turned away, leaving Rogue just standing there, and took a sip from the glass of whiskey that rested on his desk. "Y' ain't got a clue what love is. And y' certainly don't have it with Belladonna Bordeaux."_

_She'd been doing everything she could think of to control her temper. Deep breathing, counting to ten, the whole shebang. But hearing Jean-Luc denounce her love with Bella… it was just too much. And before she knew what she was doing, Rogue had stormed over to Jean-Luc, charged his decanter of whiskey, and chucked it out the window. _

_This finally caught her father's attention and he looked up at her in shock as the resulting explosion broke every window in the study and shards of glass rained down on the two. There was a sudden pounding on the door and Rogue could hear her brother's voice just barely filter through the commotion that had risen from within the house._

"Pere? _Remy? What de hell's going on?"_

"_Stay out o' this, Henri!" Rogue shouted. But her attention remained on Jean-Luc. "Bella and Remy are getting married whether y' like it or not. We'll bypass y' and go through de council if need be! People are tired o' de war, Jean-Luc, and dey think dis marriage may be de way to end it all."_

"_Remy—"_

"Non!_ Dere was a time when Remy'd let y' boss him around, but no more. I want Bella! And y' ain't gonna stop me."_

* * *

_It was as if a veil had suddenly been lifted from her eyes. Like she'd been blind for the past ten years and now she could see. But the world that'd been revealed to her was wrong. Oh, so wrong. _

_Today was supposed to be her wedding day. But that hadn't gone according to plan and now she was covered in Julien's blood, waiting to hear back as to whether the accidental blow she'd landed had killed him. If it had, Marius could lay claim to her life. And if it hadn't… well, she wasn't any better off._

_Rogue wanted to believe that Bella would stand up for her, would attest that Rogue would have never purposefully harmed Julien. Not when they were about to be brothers. But Rogue knew that wasn't so. Bella would not come to her defense because Bella didn't love her. And maybe she never had. The hatred in her eyes when she'd looked at Rogue as she'd cradled her brother's body in her lap sure did not seem like the look one would give a lover._

You're an idiot, LeBeau. A fucking fool.

_She wanted to cry, wanted to scream, wanted to bash her head into the ground until she could see no more. But a group of hushed voices outside her door stopped any would-be attempts Rogue had been considering. _

"_But dere's gotta be something y' can do! He's just a boy, Jean-Luc!"_

"_It don't matter, Mattie. Y' know de law as well as I do. Blood for blood. Julien's dying and maybe de doctor'll be able t' save him, but if he can't…"_

"_Remy's life is forfeit."_

"_Dat was de plan all along, wasn't it _Oncle_?"_

"_No, Emil, I don't think so. I really do believe dat Marius and Belladonna had no idea Julien would intervene. Dere'd be no benefit for dem in dat."_

"_But Julien attacked Remy! Surely dat's got t' count fo' something."_

"_Oh _mon fils_, I wish it were dat simple. I'm afraid de only thing Remy can do now is run."_

_Jumping back as her door swung open, Rogue looked up in the faces of her family, and they looked just as broken as she did. She didn't know what to say. What _can_ you say when you've destroyed everything? When you've let your emotions carry you away and they've brought you to a place so dark you don't even recognize yourself anymore? I'm sorry didn't seem enough._

"_Remy," Tante Mattie whispered._

_She stepped forward and cupped Rogue's face with her hands, catching the tears she'd been unaware were falling. _

"_Oh _mon chere_, what has she done t' y'?"_

_Mattie pulled Rogue to her in a tight embrace and for a moment, they didn't move. For a moment, Rogue was eight years old again, having her wounds hugged and kissed away by the strongest woman she'd ever met. For a moment there was no Bella, no Julien, no Guild. Just une Tante and her child. _

"_Remy?" her father's voice, thick with emotion, broke the silence and Rogue looked up to see that Jean-Luc had tears in his eyes as well. They all did._

"Pere? Je suis désolé_. _Mon Dieu, Je suis si désolé_."_

"_I know, _mon chou_." He didn't try to comfort her, didn't tell her everything would be all right. Because it wouldn't. They all knew that._

"_Y've got t' run, _mon fils_. Befo' de assassins come fo' y'."_

_Rogue stepped away from Tante Mattie and looked up at her father. He was right. She had to run. It was the only thing left to do. The only way to save both herself and the Guild. Rogue nodded._

"_Okay."_

"_And—" Jean-Luc paused, a pained expression on his face. He stared at Rogue for a moment, taking in everything about her as if it were the last time he'd be able to do so, before enveloping her tightly in his arms. "Y' can't come back, Remy," he managed to choke out. "Dey'll kill y' if y' do."_

_Jean-Luc handed her a wad of cash and backed up, wiping his eyes with his sleeve. It was, perhaps, the most undignified thing Rogue had ever seen her father do. She would have smiled if the world weren't crashing down around her._

_Before she could reply, Rogue was bombarded by Henri and Emil, both crushing her with what they all knew would be their last embrace. "Say good-bye to Mercy, Theo, and Jess fo' Remy, will y'?"_

_They both nodded and before they too stepped back, Rogue felt Henri press something cold and metal into her hands. She didn't have to look down to know what it was._

"_Henri, _non_. She's y' baby."_

_He shook his head. "She's y's now, _petit frère_. Take care o' each other, y' hear?"_

_Rogue bit her lip to keep from crying more. This was really it. The last time she'd ever see any of them again. The thought alone caused her heart to ache and she knew she'd never be the same when she left. Never laugh as easily, never smile as much. Never pull jokes with Emil, never celebrate a successful heist with Henry, never nick a taste of Tante's gumbo. A whole world of nevers now belonged to her. And it hurt. Oh God it hurt! More than anything else she'd ever experienced. And there was really only one person to blame._

_Herself._

* * *

Rogue emerged from the memories only to find that Remy had already awoken from his mini-coma and was now standing on the ledge, his back towards her. She felt her heart swell and desired nothing more than to go to him, hugging him as his _Tante_ had done, but wasn't quite sure how well she'd be received. Because she didn't just have his memories. Now she had his thoughts too. And now she finally understood just why he'd been such an ass for the last twenty-four hours.

"Ah reminded ya of Bella," she whispered.

Remy snorted bitterly in response. "_Non_. Y' ain't nothing like dat bitch."

"No," she replied, shaking her head even though he couldn't see it. "Ah mean my crush on Scott. It reminded ya of what ya were like with her."

His silence (and his thoughts swirling around her head) more than affirmed her suspicions. She paused, not sure how to continue, but wanting desperately to convince him that he was wrong. About many things.

Rogue slowly took a step forward, but made sure to maintain her distance. "It wasn't like that, Remy. He was just the first boy to be nice to me and Ah… Ah was lonely. Ah wanted someone to care about me. It was just a crush, a stupid little crush. It wasn't… Ah never—"

"Obsessed? Followed him around like a pathetic lap dog? Let him string y' along and toy with y' emotions?"

Rogue heard a ruckus below. She knew the Brotherhood had arrived, as well as the envoy. She knew she should be paying attention to the ensuing conflict, but to be quite honest, Rogue didn't give a flying fuck about anything or anyone but the man standing in front of her. Reaching out, she grabbed Remy's sleeve and hauled him around so that he was staring her in the eye.

"Ya listen to me, okay? Belladonna Bordeaux was a heinous bitch. And ya were just a kid. It ain't ya fault and Ah'm not gonna sit here and let ya throw a pity party and blame yaself like it was."

Remy's eyes lit with anger, but Rogue knew it had nothing to do with her. "Remy was y' age Rogue. Are y' honestly saying dat y'd have acted the same?"

"Well, boys do tend to mature two years slower, so technically it'd be like if Ah was fifteen."

He rolled his eyes, clearly exasperated. "Dis ain't de time t' be joking, _cherie_."

_Oh Remy if you only knew. God, if it'd been you and me, before my powers had manifested… I wouldn't have been far off._

"Ah'm not," she said instead. And her grip on his arm softened. "An' ya can't hate yaself forever, sugah. Ya live and ya learn and ya move on."

He stared at her, long and hard, and Rogue almost shivered under the intensity of his gaze. "What about y'?" he asked. "Have y' moved on?"

"Of course."

Remy didn't seem satisfied. Twisting his arm, he grabbed her hand and hauled her to the ledge. The fight she'd been ignoring up until then had severely escalated. And it wasn't only the Brotherhood. Rogue could just barely make out Scott and Kitty amongst the insanity, trying their best to keep the damage to a minimum, though they seemed to be doing more harm than good.

Rogue waited for the familiar fluttering of butterflies in her stomach. She waited for her eyes to latch onto Scott and her brain to imagine what it would be like if they were both normal. If she could look up into his eyes as he held her in his arms.

It never came.

"Are y' sure?"

She watched as Scott took down Lance and Kitty just barely saved Pietro. She watched the Brotherhood run and the military thank the two X-men for their help. She watched the convertible drive off into the distance and what was left of the convoy trail slowly behind. And all the while, the only thought in Rogue's head was how difficult it was to pay attention when Remy stood so close beside her.

Turning around, she met his searching onyx and red orbs, and Rogue was more confident than ever. "Yes. He doesn't mean anything to me now and Ah'm starting to wonder if he ever really did."

There was a short pause and then, just like that, Remy's bad mood seemed to dissipate. His eyes brightened and his hand briefly squeezed her own before finally releasing her and stepping back. "_Bon._ And Remy's sorry for being such _un connard_."

Rogue offered him a small smile. "Forgiven and forgotten, sugah. But," and here she stepped toward him and shoved a finger into his chest with enough force to make him lean back. "If ya ever do it again, Ah'll beat ya into the ground."

As Remy laughed heartily and walked towards his (_Henri's_) bike, Rogue silently wondered whether she'd prove him and his world of nevers wrong long after all. "Remy'd like t' see dat."

"Is that a challenge, Cajun?"

She didn't need to see his face to know that he was smirking. "Remy'd _never_ challenge y', _petite_."

Rogue opened her mouth to snap back a witty response, but was suddenly bombarded with an onslaught of memories that crashed to the front of her mind with a staggering force.

"_Is that a challenge, Evans?"_

_Shooting the winning basket at the statewide championship. Skateboarding down Main Street. Learning what Pietro was. Leaning what _she _was. _

She sneezed and stumbled over in shock as a spike shot out from her hand, landing a good ten feet away. Remy whipped around immediately and was squatting next to her before she could blink.

"Rogue? _Cherie_? _Es-tu bien?_"

She shook her head, trying to get rid of Evan's thoughts and memories.

_Evan? How's that possible? I haven't absorbed him in months!_

"Yeah," she answered, standing on her own despite Remy's outstretched hand. "Just tripped Ah guess."

Clearly, he didn't believe her. But Rogue didn't give him anytime to respond. Instead, she doubled her pace and strode back to the bike, donning the helmet before Remy could get a word in edge wise.

"Now come on. Ah wanna get back in time to see the look on Pietro's face when Magneto reveals Ah'm on the team and he's not."

As the two drove off into the night, Rogue let her thoughts wander back to her unintentional slip. There was no explanation for it and nothing like it had ever happened before. A small wave of fear washed over her and when she shivered it had absolutely nothing to do with the cold weather or her close proximity to Remy.

_Oh God. What's wrong with me?_

**A/N: Well, there it is, the longest chapter to date. And a lot of set-up for the future (especially **_**Self-Possessed**_**). I hope everyone likes it! It was probably the hardest chapter for me to write because I absolutely abhor writing Belladonna (as might be obvious). Anywho, hope everyone enjoyed the chapter. And a special thanks to everyone who reviewed chapter six even though I guaranteed a 2-day update regardless. Your encouragement definitely helped to inspire me and I can't even begin to tell you how flattering and awesome it is to read such great reviews.**

**On a more serious note, same deal as usual for the next chapter. 30 reviews update in 2 days. We can do it people! **

**And, for those of you who don't know, I've figured out how to respond directly to logged in reviewers, so only the "anonymous" reviewers will find responses in my profile. If, for some reason, you don't get either, please let me know! **

**Thanks to everyone for reading! Can't wait to see what you think!**

Translations:

_Jamais encore: Never again_

_Mon Dieu: My God_

_Merde: Shit_

_Un fou: A fool_

_Très étrange: Very strange_

_Revenez ici: Come here_

_Tenez sur: Hold on_

_D'accord: Okay_

_Attente: Wait_

_Mon diable blanc: My white devil_

_Mon pere: My father_

_Oui: Yes_

_Ma déesse: My goddess_

_Une seconde: A second_

_Bite: Dick_

_Non! Absolument pas: No! Absolutely not!_

_Oncle: Uncle_

_Mon fils: My son_

_Tante: Aunt_

_Mon chere: My dear_

_Je suis si désolé: I'm so sorry_

_Mon chou: (literally) My cabbage often used as a French term of endearment_

_Petit frère: Little brother_

_Bon: Good_

_Un connard: A jerk_

_Es-tu bien: Are you okay?_


	8. One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

**A/N: So, sad days… I had this chapter written 2 days ago (all 12 pages of it)…. And then realized I'd completely forgotten about **_**The Toad, The Witch, and the Wardrobe**_**. And I was like "crap!" So I had to rewrite the whole thing. And now I'm smacking myself in the head for the mistake. So sorry if it seems a bit rushed, I wanted to get it out to you all asap. Oh, and for simplicity's sake, we're gonna flip **_**Blind Alley**_** and **_**X-Treme Measures**_** around and pretend they happened before **_**Stuff of Villains**_**. So let's just say Scott and Jean have already gotten together and Spyke has left with the Morlocks. **

**Anywho… onward!**

"You're sure?"

"Totally. I mean, Scott and I didn't see her when we followed the Brotherhood, but she was _definitely_ at the school, with what's-his-name."

"Gambit," Charles Xavier responded absentmindedly.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and tried his best to block out the surge of noise that rose from his students. They were all gathered in his office, the senior X-men, discussing this new development. Of course, they'd all _known_ Rogue had gone with the Acolytes. But seeing her out and about, actually doing work… well, it made it more real. For all of them.

Xavier flicked his gaze over to Logan, who hadn't said a word since Scott and Kitty arrived and dropped this untimely bit of information in their laps. He knew Logan and Rogue had been close, knew this must be hard for him, but he had to push that aside temporarily. He could check on Logan later. For the moment, he had bigger things to worry about.

"What are we going to do, Professor?"

Forcing his attention back to the students, Charles Xavier sighed heavily. "I don't know, Scott. There's not much we can do."

"I don't accept that!" Scott exclaimed, jumping up and slamming his fist on the desk in front of him. "There's got to be a way to get through to her! She's doesn't belong with them, Professor. I just know it."

"Ain't always that easy, kid."

Everyone snapped their eyes to Logan, who'd finally pulled himself away from the window and was facing all of them with a strangely impassive look on his face.

"Especially when betrayal's involved."

"We didn't want to leave her," Jean quietly answered. "Or any of you."

Logan didn't respond at first. He simply stared out at what was left of the X-men and Xavier didn't need his telepathy to know exactly what he was thinking.

_What's happened to us?_

"It don't matter if you wanted to or not, Red. Fact is, you did. And I'm not saying I blame you for it, but Rogue does. And that's all that counts."

He left then, effectively ending any discussion that would have occurred. And perhaps it was for the better. Nothing good could come of this talk. There was no way to reclaim their lost teammates, no way to change the past. They simply had to accept the situation for what it was and move on. It was a hard lesson, Xavier knew. One he had hoped to spare his X-men from for quite some time, but fate often has different plans than our own.

With a wave of his hand and an encouraging sort of smile, Professor Charles Xavier dismissed his team. They were strong. They would move past this. And they would learn from it. Rogue and Evan would not be the last members to leave their ranks, of this Xavier was sure. But others would come. And his X-men would grow and wizen; they would be the hope for humanity. In a way, Xavier was glad for this early devastation. It would prepare them for the hard times ahead, of which he knew there were many. Because, despite his hopes, despite his best intentions, Charles Xavier also knew Magneto was right. A war _was_ coming. And they would be prepared.

As the team filtered down the hallways, bits and pieces of their musings floated back to him and he couldn't help but smile.

"You have to admit," Kitty whispered conspiratorially to Jean, "Like, even being an Acolyte and all, Gambit's sort of… hot."

Jean giggled in response. "I know. Those eyes, that body—it takes a girl's breath away."

"Oh really?" Scott asked and both girls screeched in response, clearly not expecting him to be listening in on their conversation. "Well, when the next opportunity presents itself… remind me to drop a truck on him."

"Scott," Jean warned.

"A big truck."

"Scott!"

"A really big truck."

Xavier rolled his eyes. _Teenagers_.

* * *

"Everyone, I would like you to meet Emma Frost."

She was perched on the edge of Magneto's desk, wearing what Rogue was sure was the world's tiniest halter-top. Her white leather pants clung to every curve and, to top it all of, she was wearing a cape. A mother-fucking _cape_. Rogue already knew she wouldn't like her.

"Hiya," she said, smiling widely and sending a flirty wink to the male Acolyte members.

_Skank_.

_Heard that_.

Rogue shot up from her slouched position in shock and flicked her gaze up to meet Emma's cool blue eyes.

_Holy fuck! She's a telepath._

_Good job. There might be hope for you yet._

Quickly adjusting, Rogue glared at this most unwelcome intruder and crossed her arms under her chest. _Stop reading my thoughts!_

_Then stop broadcasting them!_

Scowling, Rogue threw up the biggest mental block she could and looked away from the smirking bitch seated before her. Great. Just great.

"Emma is working closely with a good friend of mine, Sebastian Shaw. She's quite the talented telepath."

_Yeah. Now he tells me._

"So what," Rogue finally spoke up, "she's joining the team?"

Relief filled her when Magneto shook his head. The last thing Rogue needed was someone to come in and screw with the dynamic she currently had with the Acolytes. She _finally_ fit in somewhere and she'd be damned if Miss Priss here was going to ruin that for her. Besides, Rogue quite liked being the only girl. Less drama, more leeway.

"No," Magneto continued, forcing Rogue to focus on him once again. "But she is going to be helping us in another capacity."

The look he was giving her immediately sent up sounds of alarm in Rogue's mind and she eyed him warily. "What do ya mean?"

"He means," Emma interrupted, hopping off the desk and sauntering towards her before Magneto had time to get a word in edge wise, "that I'm going to be fixing your little problem."

"What problem," Rogue ground out. And it took all of her self-control not to swipe that arrogant look right off Emma's face.

"The voices in your head."

"Psyches," Rogue snarled. "Not voices."

"Whatever," she replied flippantly. "Now, why don't you just drop those silly little mind blocks and let the professionals work."

_That's it_.

Rogue jumped out of her chair, which sent it careening to the floor with a resounding crash. Emma stepped back in surprise, clearly not expecting Rogue to retaliate so harshly. She recovered quickly however, and took up an obvious fighting stance. Rouge couldn't help but laugh.

"Ya're going to try and _fight_ me?"

"Why?" Emma asked, serious for the first time since she'd arrived. "Isn't that what you were going to do?"

"Actually, Ah was just gonna tell ya to stay the fuck away, but if it's a fight ya want—"

A warm hand wrapped itself securely around her wrist and Rogue pulled her gaze away from the Super Bitch in front of her to look up at Remy. Honestly, with all the commotion, she'd completely forgotten he was sitting next to her. Almost subconsciously, the tension began to leave her body and Rogue found herself strangely calm under Remy's warm gaze. Odd, really. Because usually he had the opposite effect on her.

"_Cherie, _let's sit back down, _hein_? Emma's just here to help."

Even though she let him direct her back to her chair, Rogue couldn't keep herself from being suspicious. "And how do Ah know she's not gonna make things worse?" she asked, turning back to Magneto.

Emma had lost the fighting stance and was now standing calmly a few feet away, waiting to get back to business, so when Magneto's words brought undeniable discomfort to the frosty blonde, Rogue couldn't help but smirk. "Because I'll kill her if she does."

It wasn't a threat. It was a promise. And Rogue knew it had absolutely nothing to do with her, but rather that Magneto was not a man to be trifled with. He had a plan and, though Rogue was only partially privy to what it was, she knew she was an integral element of it as a member of his team. And you did _not_ fuck with Magneto's plan. She watched the arrogance in Emma's eyes fade to be briefly replaced by fear.

_Good_.

"Now," Magneto proceeded, "I assume there will be no more issues?" Rogue and Emma both nodded. "Perfect. Then let's continue."

Emma cleared her throat. "I'm going to need everyone to step back a bit."

They all complied and Rogue was more than a bit disappointed when she felt Remy's grip slip away from her arm. She didn't have time to consider this, though, because Emma suddenly was standing in front of her, cupping the sides of her face with two gloved hands. The duo locked eyes and Rogue swallowed hard, trying her best to not show the panic she felt. More than anything, Rouge hated people in her head. It was crowded enough already and it only upset the psyches (who had already begun fighting in the background) more. Besides, for some odd reason, it was always excruciating when telepaths started poking around in her head. It made her feel like her mind was being ripped apart from the inside out. Something she _definitely_ did not look forward to. But, it had to be done, that much she knew. There'd be no hope for progress if the psyches kept distracting her every time she was close to making a breakthrough.

_And who knows? Maybe this will stop whatever the hell's been going on with me these last couple of days_.

Since her absorption of Remy, things had gotten simultaneously better and worse around the Acolyte base. On the one hand, the team was closer than ever, especially now that everyone (including herself) was sure of her allegiances. And then, on the other hand… Rogue had never been so confused. She knew Remy liked her, just as she liked him, but whatever sort of feelings they had for each other, there were two substantial roadblocks in their way: her powers and his past. Honestly, Rogue didn't know which one was worst.

_Stop it, Rogue. Do you really want Emma to be reading _those_ thoughts?_

Definitely not. Nor did she want the telepath realizing that she'd been having mini power bursts over the last seventy-two hours. It was freaky, to be sure, because Rogue had never experienced anything like it before. But she had it under control. Sort of.

Doing her best to clear her mind, Rogue once again focused on the girl in front of her. They were close now, only separated by mere inches and for the first time, Rogue could see that Emma was just as nervous as she was. Go figure.

"Stay out of my thoughts," Rogue whispered fiercely.

"Trust me," Emma hissed back, "I won't be in there longer than necessary. Now shut up so I can concentrate."

Instead of snapping back, Rogue closed her eyes and waited for the splitting headache Emma's intrusion was bound to cause.

To her complete and utter surprise, it never came. For a moment, Rogue thought Emma had chickened out, that maybe she wasn't going to silence the psyches (who _still_ hadn't stopped fighting) after all. But then, a most unusual thing occurred. It was as if Emma had found a giant knob labeled "volume" in her mind and was turning it down. Slowly, the screaming of the psyches began to die down and Rogue could almost feel her mental barriers being built up.

It was like Emma was laying bricks in her head. But she wasn't creating new walls; she was strengthening old ones. Making them stronger, bigger, better. Building them up and up and up until Rogue could hear the psyches no more. It felt… wonderful.

For the first time since her mutation manifested itself, Rogue felt alone. Sure she knew it was a farce, knew that behind those well-built walls lay a slew of restless psyches, waiting to pounce on her the moment an opportunity presented itself. But none of that mattered. Even if it wasn't completely real, it was real enough. And that was all that mattered to Rogue.

Opening her eyes, she was surprised to see Emma was already back in her own head, meeting her gaze head on. It was strange because Rogue hadn't felt her enter her mind or leave it. It was almost as if she'd never been there. Part of Rogue was impressed (the Professor and Jean had never managed such a feat) and another part was terribly frightened. Because Emma's cold blue eyes held a hint of warmth to them now. One she instantly recognized.

Compassion.

What had she seen to get her to lower her guard? What memories had she invaded without Rogue's knowledge? Did she even _want _to know?

"Better?" she asked.

Rogue nodded. "Yes. But how did you—"

"It was simple, really," Emma interrupted, clearly on the same track. "Your Professor and Jean-Grey had only ever tried to fight against your mind. I simply did what came natural to it. You're not meant to be pulled apart, Rogue. That's not how your mutation works."

"And you know all that from one reading?"

Emma shook her head. "No. It's just instinct. Well, actually, more like common sense. If your mind keeps the psyches, it's for a reason. I'm not quite sure what, but it's there."

Rogue paused. She'd never thought of it that way. Never even considered the possibility that perhaps the psyches weren't just some awful side effect, but rather an integral part of something greater. It was definitely something to think about.

"Thank you," she said softly. "For everything."

"You're welcome," Emma responded and she allowed Rogue one brief, soft smile before straightening up and plastering on the mask of arrogance and sexuality that Rogue had seen before.

_Great, here we go again_.

"Well, looks like my job's done, so unfortunately duckies, I'm going to have to leave. Places to see, people to do."

Rogue rolled her eyes. But she felt none of the annoyance or anger that had come earlier from Emma's cocky attitude. It was kind of hard to hate someone when they'd done such a big favor for you. Even if she was a slutty snob.

"Very well," Magneto answered. "The boys will escort you out and ensure you receive your payment. Please do give my regards to Sebastian. It was a pleasure working with, Miss Frost."

Emma flicked her gaze down at Rogue one last time. "Anytime," she said with a wink before slinking away like sex on a stick.

Rogue couldn't help but laugh.

_Crazy bitch._

* * *

"Watch it, Piotr! Cyclops' blasts pack more of a wallop than ya'd think, sugah."

Ducking out of the way just in time to avoid being hit with a barrage of icicles (courtesy of robo-Iceman), Rogue was pleased to see that Piotr had taken her advice. Instead of just making a beeline towards the leader of the X-men, he was using the surroundings to his advantage, ducking behind boulders and using them for cover before continuing his pursuit. Rogue nodded in approval before turning her focus back to her opponent.

_Bobby Drake. AKA Iceman. Has the ability to create freezing temperatures as well as turn moisture, and himself, into ice. Strengths: speed and agility. Weaknesses: intelligence and combat skills. Mutant Assessment: limited potential. _

Rogue recited the information she'd read from Magneto's files as she skillfully dodged Iceman's attacks. As soon as she and Remy had returned from their trial mission, and he'd reported back to Magneto with what St. John referred to as "glowing reviews," she'd been officially inducted as an Acolyte. Sure, she'd already gotten the uniform, but what he'd given her three nights ago as a reward for a job well done was even better.

Files on every single member of the X-men family. Most of it she already knew, but the details Magneto had been able to collect on her former teammates surprised even her. Especially the stuff he had on the new mutants. She'd never really bothered to get to know them before and, apparently Magneto was more than well aware of that fact. Because in their simulations, he never teamed her up against one of the original X-men.

Monday it had been Magma, Tuesday was Berzerker, and now Iceman. At first, Rogue had thought they'd be simple targets, but she quickly discovered how wrong she was. Instead of simply building the robots to be exactly like the X-men she knew, Magneto built them to be as they _could_ be, at their fullest potential. Which presented much more of a challenge, but was also pure genius, in her opinion.

So distracted was Rogue by her thoughts that she didn't notice the giant ball of ice rolling her way until it was nearly too late. Thinking quickly, Rogue detached one of the small grenades on her belt and chucked it at the ball before diving behind a boulder. The vibrations from the explosion rocked the room and Rogue smiled in satisfaction when she stood back up to see robo-Iceman effectively down for good.

"Y' should warn a _homme_. Might not have time t' duck next time, _non_?"

Rogue rolled her eyes at the approaching Cajun. "Don't see what ya're complaining about, Swamp Rat. The way Ah see it, Ah did ya a favor," she retorted, nodding at his opponent (Storm) who had been knocked out by the blast as well.

"She's right, comrade," Piotr called as he retracted his metal exoskeleton and approached them with a warm smile, shooting Rogue a knowing look as he did so. "You should find a way to repay her, yes?"

As the three made their way out of the simulation room, Remy pretended to ponder the idea. "Maybe y' right, _mes amis_. How 'bout dis, Rogue. As a token o' Remy's deepest gratitude, he'll make y' an ol' fashioned Cajun meal with his own two hands."

Feeling the playful spirit of Pyro (who had left on a "secret" mission, or so he'd claimed) possess her, Rogue let a saucy smirk grace her lips. "If Ah made a list of things for ya to do with ya own two hands, stirrin' gumbo wouldn't be on it."

Rogue and Piotr shared a hearty laugh as Remy's eyes widened and he stopped abruptly, mouth hanging wide open.

_You know, I think things are finally starting to look up._

* * *

_She was thirteen. Just a kid. She wasn't even old enough to drive. But apparently fate decided she was old enough to move objects with her mind. Old enough to know exactly what her parents thought about her without having to ask. She just wanted to be normal, was that too much to ask? And now this Professor (Xavier she thought his name was) wanted her to go with him. He said there were others like her, that they could help. But should she trust him? He seemed nice enough. And that boy with him looked about her age. He didn't _look_ like a freak. He was actually kind of cute. Especially with those cool sunglasses. Wasn't his name Scott?_

_Now she was a senior in high school, delivering her acceptance speech for MVP of the girl's soccer team. Not that it hadn't been expected, the coach had done everything short of telling her to make space on her shelf for the trophy. But it was weird because she was having trouble concentrating. She'd been having a lot of trouble lately. And everyone was just thinking so loudly… especially Rogue. Rogue, who Jean had always slightly envied. She didn't care what people thought about her. She didn't have to worry about keeping up appearances. She was so lucky. They might have even been friends… if they didn't both like the same guy._

_It was Scott's voice that brought her out of the darkness. So sure and strong, her guiding light. _It's always been, Scott,_ she thought. He was right. He _did _know her better than anyone ever has or ever will. And she wouldn't have it any other way. Oh how she wished she could just tell him how she felt. Forget about Duncan, forget about her fears of what would happen if they fell apart, forget about everything and just press her lips against his. They were so close, so inviting. She could almost feel them on her now, all she had to do was reach out and-- _

_NO!_

Rogue came up from the memory, gasping for air, only to find she was floating a good ten feet above her bedroom floor. With a cry of surprise, she felt Jean's powers slip away and she hit the carpet with surprising force.

She didn't move, didn't speak, didn't do anything but breathe for a good two minutes. She was almost afraid to. Afraid of another attack, or surge, or whatever the hell it was.

_This shouldn't be happening. Emma already put up mind blocks to keep out the psyches, so what the fuck is going on?!_

But, Rogue realized with a startling certainty, Jean's _psyche_ hadn't been what caused the attack. In fact, all of the psyches were still locked away safely behind the brick wall in her mind. But then… what did that mean? Why had Rogue been suddenly able to use Jean's power, why did her memories seem so real?

_It's like I _was _Jean._ _Whatever that means. But how is that possible? Sure, when I absorb someone I get a bit confused, but I haven't touched Jean in weeks! _

More than confused, Rogue was absolutely terrified. It was like Jean had just taken over, her memories, her powers, everything. Rogue had been lost in the fold, little more than a psyche herself.

_But how is that possible? _

"Oh God," she mumbled. "Ah don't understand. Why is this happening to me?"

* * *

"G'day, mate!"

Remy stopped mid-stride and turned around to face his rather frighteningly happy teammate. "What's got y' in such a good mood, _hein?_"

St. John grinned manically and linked arms with the Cajun before pulling him along down the hallway. "What d'you look so scared for? I'm just a fun loving larrikin who's had a rip snorter of a day."

"English, _s'il vous plait_?"

"I _said_," St. John began, rolling his eyes in an overly dramatic fashion, "that's it's been a good day. Blew up a bridge, boarded down the slopes, and now I'm back here with my best mates!"

Snorting, Remy carefully disengaged himself from the psychotic Aussie. _Here_ was one of Magneto's secondary bases. Much more practical than their headquarters, this particular hideaway was a giant metal dome in the middle of fucking nowhere. Personally, Remy hated it almost as much as the warehouse Magneto owned in Brooklyn. It had absolutely no personality, the sole purpose of the building being to house sensitive shipments and emergency funds. It was also virtually indestructible, which though useful, didn't make for the most welcoming of appearances.

_Yeah, a giant metal dome in a frozen wasteland. Not at all obvious._

"Hey, speaking of mates," St. John continued, "where in the blazes is Rogue?"

"Bayville," Remy responded. "Boss said we didn't need her fo' dis one."

St. John studied him carefully, something that did not escape Remy's attention. "What's running through dat head o' y's, St. John?"

The pyromaniac inexplicably jumped in front of him and Remy had to act quick to keep himself from bumping into him. "What de—"

"Rogue."

Remy paused for a minute, not quite sure he'd heard right. "_Pardon_?"

St. John stared him dead straight in the eyes, which disturbed Remy more than a little. The Australian native was very rarely serious and when he was, it never boded well for what was to come next. St. John opened his mouth to speak again, and this time it was much more drawn out. "Rogue."

Instinctively, Remy's thoughts drifted away to the aforementioned southerner. Her free-spirited laugh, the way her eyes lit up just so when she won a fight, her porcelain like skin, untouched by man, that always seemed to taunt him with it's perfection.

_Mon Dieu, what I wouldn't give to run my hands across that skin. Feel her quiver beneath me, hear her whisper that she—_

"Holy dooley! You're head over heals for her!"

St. John's exclamation interrupted Remy's thoughts, for which the Cajun was much appreciated because they'd been heading in a dangerous direction. A _very_ dangerous direction. Mentally shaking himself, Remy scoffed and backed away from the Aussie, heading in the other direction.

"Y've finally lost it, _mon ami_."

"Oh no!" St. John called out, quickly running to catch up with his retreating friend. "You're not gonna give ol' St. John the run-a-round. I saw your pupils widen! You like her!"

Huffing exasperatedly, Remy whirled around, almost crashing into St. John for the second time that day. "Just drop it, _d'accord_?"

"Uh-huh, no can do Remykins. It ain't everyday a bloke finds out his best mates _in love_, especially with a girl like—"

Before St. John could finish his sentence, Remy had grabbed him by the arm and slammed him against the metal wall, causing the Aussie to fall into a shocked silence. Even Remy was slightly surprised with his harsh reaction, but he didn't let that falter him.

"Remy said _drop it_."

"What's the big deal, mate," St. John said, and though he ignored Remy's demands, he did make sure to keep his voice soft and unthreatening. "It ain't like she doesn't like you back."

He stared at St. John for a moment, silently wondering how much he could tell him. Despite his psychotic behavior, Remy considered the pyromaniac his best friend. And, he had to admit, keeping everything bottled up inside was really starting to prove troublesome. Especially during missions when he never could seem to keep his attention from drifting to his… friend? Teammate? Crush (though Remy shivered at the word)? What _were_ they exactly?

_Maybe I_ should _talk to St. John about it. It might help._

Releasing the Aussie, Remy took a step back and ran a hand through his tousled auburn hair, beyond frustrated. "It ain't dat easy, _mon ami_. Dere's other things t' consider."

"Like her powers?"

Remy hesitated. He wanted to say yes and be done with it, but that wouldn't really be true. Not completely anyway. Sure, her powers presented an obstacle, but the real problem, the real reason Remy couldn't – _wouldn't_ – make a move was his own damn fear. Fear of hurting Rogue, fear of hurting himself. A whole crap load of fears and "what-ifs" that he just didn't want to deal with.

"You know, I think you're just afraid."

He froze. How in the _fuck_ did St. John know? He'd sure as hell never mentioned Bella before, or his troublesome past. So really he shouldn't—

"You're used to having a naughty whenever you damn well please, no strings attached. But Rogue's a bit different, ain't she? You can't touch her, so that's out, but then you got to ask yourself, is that really what you want in the first place?"

Remy didn't know what to say to that. On the one hand, St. John was way off. There was so much more going on behind the scene than he realized. But… at the same time, he was undeniably right. Remy _did_ want Rogue for more than just a quick fuck. And therein lie the problem.

Viens m'enculer_, this is so much worse than last time. Looking back, I know what I had with Bella was just a lust-driven obsession. But this is more like_—

A loud popping sound interrupted his train of thought and Remy immediately felt all thoughts of Rogue and the problems she presented disappear as his instincts and training kicked in.

"What de hell was dat?"

"What was what?" St. John asked, clearly confused.

"Dat sound," Remy answered, quickly walking around the corner only to find the space empty, as it should be.

_That's odd…_

"Oh no you don't! I'm not letting you get out of it that easy, mate."

Remy rolled his eyes. "St. John, Remy's not trying t' get out o' anything. He just heard something is all."

"Oh, suuure. You just _heard _something. How conven—"

"Magneto," came the voice of Mastermind, their latest recruit. "You have intruders!"

Shooting his friend a look that clearly said, "I told you so," Remy took off running down the hallway. Letting out a huff of frustration, St. John quickly followed.

"Don't get any ideas, you little bastard. After we kick these blokes' asses, you and I are gonna have a talk!"

**A/N: Well, there you have it. Chapter eight. I know a lot of you seemed a bit… miffed about all the Bella/Remy in the last chapter, but it was a necessary evil, I swear! Without it, Remy's decisions from here on out won't make much sense. **

**And, despite the rush with which I composed this particular chapter, I hope everyone enjoys it. Especially the introduction of Emma Frost. Believe me, we haven't seen the last of her!**

**Oh, and on a special note… there are two quotes (well, more like dialogue exchanges) that came directly from the comics themselves. The first person to point out the quotes and the comics they're from will get a special treat.**

**Thanks so much and I hope you guys will forgive me for not posting translations or review responses tonight. The responses I'll write as soon as I get home from work tomorrow and if anyone's dying to know the translations (be they French or Australian), let me know and I'll get them to you.**

**Thanks again for reading and please review!**


	9. Run Baby Run

"Ah can't believe Ah missed it!" Rogue exclaimed, throwing down a spoon full of gumbo in consternation.

St. John shrugged and managed to reply between mouthfuls. "Honestly, sheila. You didn't miss that much."

"_Oui_," Remy agreed, smacking the Aussie's hand away as he reached over to steal a piece of cornbread off the Cajun's plate. "Toad and dat Nightcrawler fool ported out befo' we could get t' 'em."

"How'd ya know it was Toad? Ah thought Mastermind said it looked like a blonde ski instructor?"

"Are you kidding?" St. John snorted. "There ain't no way two people in the world can smell _that_ bad."

Rogue laughed before dipping a bit of cornbread in her bowl of gumbo and popping it in her mouth. Forgetting about all the commotion that had gone on in her absence, she took a moment to savor the burst of flavors the delightful southern combination created. True to his word, Remy had fixed a southern meal to show his "gratitude" and Rogue would be damned if it wasn't the best tasting seafood gumbo she'd ever had.

_I wonder where he learned to cook?_

The thought had just barely crossed her mind when a flash of memories bombarded her with surprising force. She cried out in surprise, her hands flying to her head instinctually.

_A labyrinth-like house with a kitchen that would inspire awe in the greatest of chefs. A large black woman whose intimidating glare was offset by the half smile on her face. Peppercorns, bay leaves, oregano, and thyme all sprinkled intermittently in a simmering pot of heaven. _

"_Don't stir t' fast, child. Dis ain't a race, it's an art."_

_Tante Mattie. _

"_Cherie_? Are y' okay?"

With all the strength she had, Rogue pulled herself from the memories, coming back to reality with a painful gasp. She didn't know how, but she'd managed to shove her chair a good three feet back from the kitchen table and the Acolytes were crowded around her, concern covering all of their faces. Her eyes automatically sought out Remy, who was kneeling on the ground in front of her, his hands tightly gripping her knees. She offered him a weak smile, trying hard to ignore the intensity of his stare and the goosebumps his touch brought to her skin.

"Ah'm fine," she answered, though Rogue could tell from the disbelieving look in his eyes that he didn't buy it. Not for a second.

"Rogue," he whispered, dropping his gaze downwards.

She couldn't help but follow suite and what she saw sent a wave of terror coursing through her veins. Her hands, which held fiercely onto the bottom of the chair, were glowing with what she knew to be pent up kinetic energy. Rogue automatically twitched, ready to release the object and jump away (as if that would solve anything), and only Remy's quick thinking kept her from doing so.

He'd covered her gloved hands with his own and squeezed them tight, forcing her to look up at him. "_Cherie_, concentrate. Y' have t' pull de energy back int' y'."

"Ah don't know if Ah can," she replied shakily.

And it was the God's honest truth. Rogue didn't have a fucking clue what was going on. First Spyke, then Jean, and now Remy? And every time the powers were harder to control. It was if they'd taken on a mind of their own and to hell with her and what she wanted. Quite frankly, she wasn't sure if she was more terrified or pissed off.

"Okay," he said, his eyes full of understanding. "Den just try not t' fight Remy, _d'accord?_"

"Ah'll do my best."

He kept his demon eyes locked on her own emerald ones and Rogue found herself unable to look away. "_Fiez-vous moi_," he whispered and Rogue could do nothing but nod.

_I do. I actually trust him, more than I've ever trusted anyone. It doesn't make sense! He's a thief, more of a rogue than I am. I have his memories, I know what he's done in his past, so why am I being so naïve about all of this? Why do I trust him?_

Rogue half-expected one of the psyches to offer up an explanation. She'd grown so accustomed to them over the last couple of years that it took her a minute to remember they were trapped behind Emma's substantial mind blocks. Not that it really mattered. Rogue could pretty well guess what they all would have said. Logan would have berated her for going soft, Mystique would've screamed it was a result Xavier's bleeding heart teachings, but it was the answer Rogue knew Kitty would give that frightened her the most.

_You're like totally falling in love with him_!

But she wasn't. She _couldn't_ be. Not now and certainly not with Remy LeBeau. And yet…

_Oh God! All the butterflies in my stomach, the heat I feel when he touches me, I thought it was just some stupid crush. But she's right. I really am—_

"Rogue?"

Remy's voice snapped her back to reality and she glanced about wildly only to realize that not only had he successfully rid her of the kinetic energy, but Piotr and John had also somehow disappeared without her noticing. Though, in her defense, she had been rather preoccupied with some serious thoughts.

"Where are the boys?" she croaked out, unwilling to address the concern in his eyes.

Remy clenched his jaw at her obvious avoidance of what just happened and stood abruptly, grabbing the abandoned bowls of gumbo and dumping them unceremoniously in the sink. "Dey went t' get Magneto."

"What?" she cried, jumping up so fast she nearly lost her balance. "Why would they do that?"

Whirling around, eyes blazing, Remy fixed her with a glare so fierce that Rogue nearly backed up in surprise. "_Pourquoi?_ _Mon Dieu_, Rogue, y' almost blew up de kitchen!"

"Ah didn't mean to," she screamed back, trading her fear for anger and wrapping it around her like the security blanket that it was. "It was just an accident!"

"_Exactement!_ An' it ain't de first accident y've had, is it?"

Rogue faltered, unsure just how much Remy knew. She thought he'd been oblivious to her slip up with Evan's powers and she was fairly certain he had no idea about the Jean incident. So either Remy had a freakishly accurate intuition or he was spying on her. Frankly, Rogue wasn't sure which one was worse.

"So what if it ain't? It's none of ya business, Cajun."

"De hell it ain't," he growled. "Y' part o' dis team now and y' can't keep dose sort of things secret from the rest o' us."

"Oh that's rich," she snapped back. "Coming from the likes of you."

The stony look that immediately clouded over his features was enough to make Rogue want to smack herself repeatedly. "Remy, Ah'm sorry, Ah didn't mean to—"

"Save it," he answered coolly. "Y' right."

With that, he turned on his heel and stormed out of the room, leaving Rogue alone with nothing but her fear, anger, and a suspicious aching in her chest that she knew would bring her nothing but trouble.

"She went _where_?"

"To the Descanso Rivets concert with some chick named Risty," John replied, clearly a bit agitated at having to answer the same question four different times.

They were all gathered in living room, Piotr and John having finally succeeded in pulling Magneto away from his private laboratory long enough to explain what had happened over dinner. Though they were still a bit in the dark as to _why_ Rogue had left in such a hurry (barely taking the time to jot down a brief note and slap it on the front door), Remy was fairly certain they all knew it had something to do with him.

_Don't it always?_

Where their southern Goth was concerned, Remy seemed to be the only one who could rile her up so easily. And while it was true that perhaps he had been a bit harsh in his initial reaction, he wasn't completely in the wrong either. She _did_ have a responsibility as an Acolyte to keep them informed of the progression of her mutant powers. It was strictly a professional courtesy. And it had absolutely nothing to do with his personal feelings towards her.

Or so he kept telling himself.

"I do not believe it a wise idea to leave Rogue alone, considering this new development," Magneto said, pulling Remy from his inner musings. "One of you should follow her and ensure nothing of the like happens again."

The frown that adorned the Master of Magnetism's face raised alarms in Remy's mind and he couldn't help but get the feeling that they weren't being told something. "Magneto? What is it?"

"Rogue's mutation is developing at an alarmingly quick rate. I fear that without the proper supervision and training, something… unfortunate could occur."

A surge of fear rushed through Remy LeBeau and he felt his muscles tense reflexively. Stepping forward and directly into Magneto's line of sight, he forced the older mutant to look him in the eye. "What are y' talkin' about?"

"Rogue's power is… unlike anything the world – even the mutant world – has ever seen because she is the only person with limitless potential. A terrible and yet awe-inspiring gift. But, such power left unchecked could be devastating, both to Rogue and everyone else. Which is why one of you must tail her. If anything should happen…"

"I will do it," Piotr said, and they all turned to him in shock. He was _never_ the first to volunteer for a mission.

His ice blue eyes met Remy's dead on, with only the barest hint of acknowledgement to Magneto. "I think, comrade, that you two did not depart on of the best of terms. Perhaps it would be best to let her cool down first."

Begrudgingly, Remy had to admit the Russian made sense. He nodded, which seemed to be enough for Piotr.

"Good. I will be on my way."

Muttering something about making a phone call, Magneto took his leave as well, but it was Piotr that Remy trailed to the front door. And, despite the fact that he was grateful to the Russian for volunteering to look after Rogue, Remy could not help but wish he could take his friend's place. The two stopped at the entrance hall and Piotr turned around even as he reached for the door handle.

"I will call if I need assistance."

Remy nodded. "_Merci, mon ami_." He paused, unsure what to say next.

As always, it seemed as if Piotr already knew what he was on his mind as he offered Remy a sympathetic smile. "Do no worry. I will look after her."

He said nothing in response, but merely watched the gentle giant walk off into the night. Remy could hear St. John approaching from behind, but he did nothing to acknowledge his presence, far too deeply buried in his own thoughts. For once, the questionably sane Aussie seemed content to stand in silence for a moment.

When Piotr's bike drove off the extensive property, however, St. John placed a hand on Remy's shoulder and began to steer him away from the still open door.

"C'mon, mate. Let's go drown our sorrows in a bottle of rum, shall we?"

_This was a bad idea_.

Rogue squeezed past the mass of concertgoers, trying to get to a more vacant spot, if such a thing was even possible at a Descanso Rivets event. When she'd bumped into Risty at the bookstore earlier that day, she couldn't possibly say no to her invitation to hang out, especially when she realized just how much she missed spending time with the other Goth.

_And besides, I may work for Magneto, but that doesn't mean I can't have any non-mutant friends. It's not like I hate them all, just the assholes like Trask._

Forcing herself to push such thoughts from her mind, Rogue glanced about the room, trying to figure out where the two of them should go. She thought she saw an opening to her left and made to head that way, but when one of the screaming fan girls moved, she caught sight of the last two people she wanted to see.

_Fuck! Jean and Scott!_

They were standing close together, clearing engaged in a deep yet somehow awkward conversation, and Rogue couldn't help but roll her eyes before pivoting around to head in the opposite direction.

She nearly bumped right into Risty who was staring at her with a curious look in her eyes. "You still have a thing for him don't you?"

"What?" Rogue asked, very much surprised. "No way. Scott and Jean are practically a couple."

_Plus I don't think Magneto would be too happy if I started shacking up with the enemy._

The cold gaze that Risty fixed Scott and Jean with surprised Rogue, but she chalked it up to friendly loyalty or something of the like. "Well they deserve each other. And you, my girl," she punctuated this with a light and playful poke to Rogue's chest, "can do better."

Momentarily, Rogue contemplated telling Risty about her new "interest," but that would lead to all sorts of questions. And she couldn't very well tell her friend they'd met on the battlefield, but she'd only started to like him once he rescued her from a scientific torture chamber. Besides, she was still upset at the Cajun.

_Even though I sort of, kind of, maybe, might have to admit he was right._

Rogue didn't have long to dwell on these thoughts, however, as Risty began to drag her further into the annoying throng of crazed fans. Which did absolutely nothing for the migraine that was quickly growing inside her head. Irritated, Rogue rubbed her temples and glared at a screaming brunette that bumped into her.

"I think this was a mistake. I don't do well in crowds. I can barely move!"

Risty rolled her eyes and linked an arm with Rogue's. "Oh relax. You're covered up enough!"

But Rogue didn't feel it. She felt like she was far too exposed and the loudness of the band wasn't helping either. More and more people kept jostling against her and every time they did, Rogue felt a swell of panic run through her.

And then the memories came.

_Cody tackling another player to the ground. Kurt's mother singing him some odd German lullaby as a child. Lance using his powers to bring down his old school._

They weren't as overwhelming as last time, but they were enough to send Rogue careening into the girl next to her, who ripped her sleeve as she fell to the ground. There was a brief instant when fear swept over Rogue like a tidal wave and she didn't even have time to cry out for help before the first person bumped into her.

And then another. And another. And the memories flooded into her mind. Too confusing for her to catalog, too fast for her to truly understand what was going on. With the last bit of control she had, Rogue backed away from the crowd as much as she could, clutching her arm tightly to her side. But with her eyes squeezed shut in an attempt to gain control, she didn't see the fallen body behind her. Stumbling over it, she ran straight into Risty.

These newest batch of memories pushed aside the others that were still swirling around in her head. And while Rogue expected to see Risty's childhood in England, her loving parents and little brother, the truth that flooded her mind was a betrayal of the worse kind.

Risty and her forming a kinship. Risty helping her plan a party while Xavier was out of town. Risty becoming the only person who never demanded anything from her, the only person she considered a true friend during her time at the Mansion.

And it was all a lie. Risty was Mystique. She'd used her to get information on Xavier. Used her to get into the mansion. They were supposed to be friends, but that had never been the case. Rogue had always been a means to an end.

And then more memories surfaced. Early ones with Mystique disguised as Principal Darkholme, pushing a two-toned hair child on a swing set—

"Oh God!" Rogue screamed, and broke away from Mystique, who'd transformed back into her true self.

Both women fell to the floor and as Mystique groaned and rolled over, Rogue clutched her head in her hands, trying to block out the onslaught of memories. Trying to forget everything she just learned.

"Oh God, oh God, oh God!"

It was too much. Far too much for her to handle. And she didn't want to handle it. She didn't want to deal with it. Rogue simply wanted to disappear. To no longer exist. So she did the only thing she could think of.

She let go.

Piotr had just arrived at the concert and was standing serenely on the maintenance floor, overlooking the massive crowd and doing his best to find Rogue in the bunch. To be honest, he was quite glad she'd left headquarters with this new friend. More than anyone, she needed a break. She seemed to always work twice as hard as the rest of them, as if desperate to prove not only her loyalty, but her abilities as well. Which was completely unnecessary. If Piotr had learned anything about Rogue (not only from her file, but from living with her as well), he knew that she was the most dedicated person he'd ever met. A person he quite admired.

A commotion off to the side caught his attention and Piotr shook his head of these thoughts before tensing when he realized that it was _Rogue_ that was the cause of this excitement. He watched with horror as she started absorbing people left and right and, like a train wreck, he couldn't look away when she stumbled into someone that soon transformed into Mystique. If that hadn't shaken him from his frozen state, then watching Rogue morph into Sabertooth surely did.

Without another thought, Piotr jumped off the balcony and landed barely an inch away from some terrified looking boy. Paying the kid no mind, he quickly summoned his metal exoskeleton and began shoving his way through the crowd and towards the stage, where Sabertooth-Rogue was causing a massive amount of damage.

He was nearly half-way there when the boy from before jumped on his back in an attempt to stop him.

"Not so fast!"

Piotr snorted at the child and effortlessly tossed him onto the ground. When suddenly the boy multiplied so that there were three more of him, Piotr realized his mistake. That hadn't been just any kid. It was Jamie Maddrox, one of Xavier's new recruits.

"I have no time for you," he said, beyond patience. "Now move out of my way or I will be forced to hurt you."

Stupidly, the child rushed him, and though he regretted doing it, Piotr had no choice but to throw him roughly against the wall. Enough to knock him out, but not cause any serious damage.

He turned around in time to watch Cyclops blast Sabertooth-Rogue through a wall and a wave of anger rushed through him. Ignoring the temptation to knock the oblivious boy scout into the ground, Piotr ran as fast as he could towards to makeshift exit he saw his teammate and Mystique run through only to be abruptly stopped by a string of X-men.

"Like, don't even think about it," the petite brunette (_Shadowcat_) said.

"What are you doing here, Acolyte?" Cyclops spat. "And why are you and Sabertooth working with Mystique?"

"_Bakapor_," Piotr cursed. "That is Rogue, not Sabertooth. Now get out of my way."

Without waiting for a response, he barreled past the stunned X-men and whipped out his cell phone, dialing Remy's number as he ran.

The Cajun answered on the first ring. "_Oui?_"

"Remy, it's Rogue."

"_Que!_ What happened?"

"Get Magneto and St. John and get to the Titleman Convention Center as soon as you can."

He heard Remy mutter some choice French curses and yell frantically to St. John, who apparently had not been far away. "Piotr," he growled, "what's goin' on?"

"I do not know," he answered, trying not to let fear seep into his words. "I believe Rogue's powers have taken control of her body."

"Where is she?" Remy demanded, and Piotr could hear more noise in the background now, like the revving of a bike.

"I don't know!" he cried, desperate and angry at himself for losing sight of his friend. "She morphed into Sabertooth and disappeared."

"Keep looking for her," Remy shouted over the roaring of his bike. "I'll be right there."

Remy hung up and Piotr could do nothing but pocket his phone, praying to all the saints that were listening that Remy would hurry. Because he had a bad feeling about this. A very bad feeling indeed.

**A/N: Wow, I am beyond sorry that it took me so long to update this. Luckily, my ridiculously slow update had nothing to do with health issues (yeah!), but rather some awesome news. I've been officially signed to write a book series that should be published around next winter (should be the operative word) and available in most major stores! And I am ridiculously excited. Like, pee-in-your-pants excited. And this, my lovely, wonderful, amazingly patient readers is why I was late. I've been in New York finalizing details and working with my agent for the past couple weeks. **

**Now, don't worry! **_**Gone**_** will still be written, though I won't be able to update every two days due to the deadlines I'll now have to meet for my book (which, I hope you'll all read when it comes out… yes, that was shameless self-promotion… please don't hate me!). But, I hope everyone can bear with me. And, as always, please continue to review because it certainly does help get the creative juices flowing. **

**Also, I have a short poll I'd like the readers to take. Recently, I've been thinking about taking **_**Gone**_** in a new direction. My original plan was to follow the series to the end of the fourth season, keeping the main plot but adjusting it to fit Acolyte!Rogue. However, when outlining the chapter(s) I have planned for **_**Cajun Spice**_**, I thought "hey, what if Rogue and Remy **_**stayed**_** in New Orleans? What if they continued their Acolyte work from there? What if I really drew this out, brought in Genosha, and a crap load of other stuff?" So… I'm asking for opinions here. I would like to know who would rather have **_**Gone**_** stick to the original plot (for the most part) that the creators of **_**X-Men: Evolution**_** drew up and who would rather see our favorite couple in New Orleans, amongst the Thieves Guild. The New Orleans plot would be far more complex (as I'll be brining in all our favorite thieves and assassins, plus some more, as well as a Magneto hell-bent on domination) and will take more time to write, so keep that in mind.**

**Anywho, I'm going to stop writing now so you awesome people can read this next chapter. And please do review! I'd love to hear your thoughts (but anything regarding which storyline you would like to see me take, please go to my homepage on FFN and vote in the poll… having to figure out the count by hand would take a crap load of time!). And review responses will be sent out/posted asap!  
**

**Also, congrats to the following people who correctly guessed the quotes from the last chapter: Arian69, Ace, Ishandahalf, Ana, Gambitfan85, GothikStrawberry, and The Duplicitous One. You get… a sneak peek at what's to come! Unfortunately, it's not Rogue/Remy centered, it's Logan centered. But it's pivotal to the plot and you all get to read it at least five chapters (maybe more) before everyone else. For those of you who review anonymously (I think it's just Ace and Ana), I'll need your e-mails or something to send you the chapter. Or I might just try and do the whole new file share thing FFN has (either way, I need to know your account names so I can send it to you). Everyone else, fear not! You too will read the Logan scene (because it won't be a part of this story, I'll be posting it as an independent one-shot). The quotes, by the way, were the fire truck conversation between Jean and Scott and the little bit between Remy and Rogue about stirrin' Gumbo (X-men #8).**

**Oh, and one last thing, my most profound apologies for a major screw up I made in the last chapter. I accidentally said that Emma was British (this is what I get for writing chapters at all hours of the night). Thankfully, I went back and edited it out. Sorry again!**

Message for Strivex4xLife: I got your PM about having drawn a pic of Rogue in the costume I described, but the link wouldn't work! Do you think you could resend me the link? Thanks! And I really appreciate you drawing it for the story!

_Bakapor- dumbass in Russian_


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